


Ucaidia

by Demonhugger69



Series: Assassins of Sao [1]
Category: Benedict Cumberbatch - Fandom, Original Work, Tom Hiddleston - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Assassination, F/M, Future Fic, Post-Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-02
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2018-10-26 20:35:08
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 56,987
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10794297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Demonhugger69/pseuds/Demonhugger69
Summary: It is set in the far off future in the land of Ucaidia, which is the entire North American continent. Democracy is gone, freedom is almost nonexistent, and cruel punishments are handed to those who stray from the rules. The massive country is ruled by a monarch called the Premier. He is admired by many, but that is because they are blind to the true horrors going on.Assassin group, Sao, is led by Micheal Fassbender and his sister, Raven, as his second in command. Their goal is to take down the Premier and bring forth a new age of peace for Ucaidia. Along the way, Raven meets Tom Hiddleston, a young CEO of the company she infiltrates. Their paths become intertwined and Tom finds himself questioning everything he has been told throughout his life.Who will come out on top? The assassins? Or the Premier?Will romance sprout between Raven and Tom? Read to find out :)This is a AU fanfic with quite a few celebrities, but with Tom Hiddleston as the main male character.





	1. Chapter 1:

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so I decided to re-write the beginning of the story. It's the same storyline and everything but the first few chapters are just written differently and better now.

chapter 1:

Thick, ever-hanging clouds cover the moon entirely. A clear sky was taken for granted in the past, it was never thought that one day the sun and moon would both be shrouded in darkness. For decades the celestial bodies have been hidden from sight, a darkness has fallen over this world as a result of our own stupidity and selfishness. We knew nuclear warfare would be devastating, but it was never believed to be able to cause this much irreversible destruction.

The thick stratospheric clouds were only one of many repercussions that have occurred since the first nuclear bomb was dropped upon Ucaidia. The death toll was in the millions, thousands were left homeless, and many agricultural resources were destroyed. Temperatures have also dropped worldwide due to the clouds that dispersed from the bomb, which has disrupted many ecosystems and caused the extinction of several species.

Even after decades of rebuilding cities and settling into a normalized routine, the people of Ucaidia are still having to combat the effects of the disaster that took place that dreadful day. 

Perched atop a building in the Westward, a young woman in black crouches behind a chimney and assesses the area below her. A large CRC building stands across from her, white walls and thick glass windows covering the exterior. 

CRC stands for Castwell Rebellion of Countermeasures. This agency was created not long after the nuclear strike hit. The sole purpose of the organization was to contain and control the increasingly chaotic population of Ucaidia. Riots and famine took control after the hit, and the CRC was created to take back order of the country. It had worked wonderfully at the time, but it has gone too far now. 

Over the years, the crime rate in Ucaidia has dropped significantly, and the leader of this country has sought to control more and more of its citizen's lives. Ucaidia has turned more into a dictatorship than anything else. The Premier controls everything that goes on in this country. He came into power three decades ago after the previous leader passed away. While Ucaidia has always had a strict rulership, the latest Premier has been the most hostile. 

Two years ago he incited the fourth world war, pulling Ucaidia into disarray. Fear spread through the population, they worried about another nuclear bomb being launched. As a result of this, the Premier raised the security. Now, there is a CRC headquarters in each sector of the country, which only caused more fear within the lesser classed citizens since they are in more danger by the enforcers. 

Ucaidia is split into four wards. The north, south, east, and west. Within each ward lies eight sectors which contain a CRC headquarters based in the affluent districts. 

Five men stand in front of the large building, guarding the main access door. They each wear a deep blue, armored combat suit which is the common uniform for the enforcers of Ucaidia. 

A shadow flies through the sky with incredible speed, passing unseen overhead of the guards. The shadow is revealed to be a large raven as it lands on the woman’s shoulder. Strapped to its back is a small backpack of sorts, along with a nearly invisible camera attached to the leather straps on its chest.

The woman reaches up and pets the raven. “Good girl, Vex,” She tells the bird softly, before taking a small memory card from a cuff on the bird’s leg. She then pulls out a small, thin, white sheet and inserts the card into a thicker corner of it. A video appears on the sheet. A birds eye view of the CRC building before her. The footage shows three men patrolling either side of the building, and five more guarding the back entrance. The roof is empty.

“Roof is clear, except for two security cameras,” The young woman relays through her earpiece to her partner who awaits orders on another rooftop.

'When will they learn that the roof is an assassin’s favorite entrance?' A man with a British accent chuckles on the other end of the connection.

Behind the guarded building on another rooftop, a hooded man in black kneels in the shadows. On his shoulder sits another bird, a mighty condor.

“Take them out, Talon,” The man orders his feathered friend. 

The large bird takes off from the man’s shoulder. Its feathers are uniformly black, with the exception of a frill of white feathers surrounding the base of its neck. 

Talon soars through the dark sky, flying high above the guarded building in a circle before swooping down. He swipes the wires of the two cameras, efficiently cutting them before returning to his master.

“All done,” The man tells his partner once Talon returns to him.

‘Race you,’ The young woman says cheekily. 

The hooded man smirks, ”You’re on.”

Pulling down his dark mask - which resembles the beak of a condor - over the top half of his face, he stands. “Standby,” he says to Talon. The bird leaps from his shoulder and flies into the sky, awaiting further orders.

The man steps onto the roof’s ledge. “Ready?” He questions his partner.

‘Ready.’

“Go!” The man leaps from the edge and stretches out his right arm, a cable shoots from a device strapped to his forearm and anchors itself on the roof ledge of the guarded building. The man is then quickly propelled toward the top of the building by the cable.

Reaching the rooftop in seconds, he smiles as hauls himself over the ledge. “Looks like I won.”

“Not quite.”

He groans and turns to his right where his partner is leaning nonchalantly against a wall. Her green eyes portraying smugness at her victory. Her raven-like mask covering the lower half of her face, hiding the smirk the man knows is there. 

“How-“ He shakes his head, ”I’m not going to bother. Let’s just get this over with.”

“Is Benny a sore loser?” His partner teases as she walks to a large air duct. 

He crosses his arms, ”Don’t call me that, Raven.”

Raven giggles and kneels down in front of the air duct. Pulling out a glove from one of the many pouches on her belt, she slides it on over the glove she already wears and touches a small sensor on the back of the glove. The fingertips start to glow red hot. Placing her fingers on the thick metal surface of the air duct, she draws a square and watches as the metal melts under her touch. Once she’s drawn the square she pokes the metal in, leaving a hole just large enough for her and her partner to crawl through. 

Raven suddenly yanks the glove off with a hiss. "Ouch!" She throws the glove on the ground and glares at it as she cradles her hand to her chest. 

“What happened?” Ben questions, quickly going to her side.

"It burnt me."

He takes her hand and examines it. The glove burned through the glove she already had on and her skin as well. Luckily the wound isn’t too bad, just a bit blistered. The original glove she had on protected her skin quite a bit. 

"I'll have to talk to James about it malfunctioning again. This is the fifth time it's happened!” Raven growls in annoyance, "I’m running out of my good combat gloves because they keep getting holes burned into them.”

Ben lets out a quiet chuckle.

“It’s not funny!” Raven hisses and smacks his arm. “Next time, you are wearing it!"

"Fine. Now, let’s finish this. Micheal won’t be happy if we dawdle."

Raven nods, "You're right,” She pockets the malfunctioned tech, then crawls into the air duct with Ben right behind her. 

Few people are milling about the building this late at night. Only a few cleaners, guards, and the CEO who has been staying late to catch up with work. 

Two guards lounge in a room, waiting to change shifts with the other guards. 

“I heard they are going to block off the poor area of this sector,” One of them says. He is reclining on a couch, his helmet and pistol beside him. 

The other guard leans against a wall, casually checking his watch. "That so?"

"More and more people are coming down with illness there. It is for the best that they block it off."

The man near the wall shrugs, "Not that it matters much to us. They would not be allowed to enter this portion of the sector without a pass."

"Do you think-" The man is cut off suddenly by a dark figure tackling him from the ceiling. 

The man near the wall grabs for his gun, but he is tackled to the ground as well.

The two assassins quickly knock out the guards and pull them over to a closet to hide the bodies. 

"Are these bullets?" Ben asks. After searching the guard's pockets he found a clip full of strange looking ammo. They are clear with a network of blue wires within them. 

"Looks like it," Raven says and moves toward the door. 

Ben pockets the bullets then taps at the small screen on his wristband. "Okay, the cameras should be disabled. We've got fifteen minutes before they turn back on."

Raven nods, placing her hands on the door and closing her eyes. Stretching out her senses to the area around her, she listens for movement and voices.

Both Raven and Ben have heightened senses, strength, and speed from special enhancers made by their friend James. Enhancers such as these are common within the enforcer academies, but it is strictly forbidden for civilians to have them. 

"Hall is clear. Three guards stand down a corridor to the right," She relays to her partner as she moves away from the door.

Ben slides out of the room and slinks down the hall, coming to a stop just before the hallway that branches off to the right. He glances around the corner and spies the three men guarding a door. He senses two more walking down the corridor behind it. 

Checking his amount of crossbow darts, and pistol ammo. He cocks his gun and takes aim at the men. 

Three silent shots hit their targets, each with precision accuracy. 

Raven and Ben jog down the corridor. Grabbing a key card off one of the guards, Ben scans it on a panel next to the door. They enter when the green light shows. 

Silently sprinting down another hallway, they turn the corner where two more guards await. 

Raven leaps up in the air and lands on a guard’s back, swiftly slitting his throat with her knife. Dropping to the ground, she swipes the feet out from under the man next to her then stabs her blade into his skull once he hits the ground. 

Ben leaps over them and sprints down the hall to another door that leads to the offices of the higher-ups.  

"Time?" Raven asks as she joins him by the door. 

"Ten minutes," Ben tells her as they sneak through the door. 

Raven smiles beneath her mask, "Looks like we will be finishing early. Smith's office should be just past the boardroom."

Ben nods,"Two guards stand outside his office. Smith is alone inside."

"You take them out and keep watch. I will handle Smith."

Passing the boardroom, they come to the hallway containing their target's office. 

Ben takes out the guards with two silent shots, then stands watch while Raven sneaks into the room. 

Jasper Smith; the wealthy CEO of the CRC building in sector 2 of the western ward. He is fairly small in the hierarchy scale of this country, but he still works directly under the Premier which is all that matters. 

Raven spies him leaning back in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk as he talks on his phone.

"Yes, yes I know," He tells the person on the other end of the call, "I will be done in an hour, do not fret. I have guards flooding my building. I can assure you that no one will get in."

Pressing a button on her wrist to end his phone call, Raven leans against a wall and watches as he looks at his phone confused. “Hello? Can you-“

"Are you sure no one can get in?" Raven questions. "Because I got in quite easily."

Startled, Jasper drops his phone and jumps to his feet. “Who are you?” He demands, glaring at the masked woman, ”How did you get in here?”

“The roof,” Raven answers nonchalantly. She takes a step toward him, ”You have something I want.”

“What do you want?”

“Information.”

Smith takes a few steps back and shouts, ”GUARDS!"

Raven is on him in seconds with her hand wrapped around his throat. She pins him against a bookshelf and narrows her eyes. “No guards are coming. Now, you will give me the information I want, or we are going to have a problem,” She growls.

His eyes bugle out from loss of oxygen and he claws at her gloved hand. She releases her grip a bit and waits for his answer.

“…W-who are… you?” He chokes out.

Raven pulls him away from the bookcase and throws him into his office chair, before grabbing a thin wire from her belt and quickly tying him to the chair with it.

“I am part of an organization set on bringing the Premier down. Our goal is to bring Ucaidia into a new age of peace,” Raven tells him, “We call ourselves, Sao.”

Smith lets out a surprised laugh, “Y-you honestly think you can overthrow the Premier? Bring peace?!”

Raven narrows her eyes, ”Laugh now, but you will soon take us seriously.”

Smith is still chuckling, “And what information do you want from me, Birdwoman?”

Raven cocks her head to the side, ”Actually, that was a lie.”

Smith slowly frowns.

“I’m here to send a message,” Raven says, then glances up at the security camera that hangs in the corner of the room. A red light on the camera then turns on. Raven turns back to Smith, ”Our message, is that we will no longer hide in the shadows. Our mission is to kill the Premier, and we will succeed. That is a promise.”

Smith sits back with a smug look, ”The cameras are back on. My guards will arrive soon.”

“I have one last message to deliver,” Raven grips the handle of her knife that is strapped to the small of her back, “We are assassins,” She pulls out her blade and stabs it into Smith’s skull.

Ben then rushes into the room, “We’re out of time, Rae. We’ve got to-“ He comes to a halt when he sees the mess Raven has made. His face drops in exasperation, “You didn’t.”

Raven retrieves her knife from Smith and wipes the blood off on his pants, “He didn’t know anything. This is a better way to show that we are serious in our mission.”

Ben shakes his head, “Micheal won’t be happy.”

Raven rolls her eyes, ”He is never happy. Let’s get going."

The sound of a dozen or so footsteps are heard just outside the office, then the door slams open and guards flood into the room with their guns raised. 

Ben dives behind the desk with Raven as a hail of bullet rain down over them. 

"Window!" Raven shouts over the noise, pointing at the large bay window at their left. 

Ben nods and raises his pistol, aiming at the glass. He lets off a quick round of shots, which only crack the strong window. Raven then dives toward it and uses her body to smash through the weakened glass. 

Falling quickly from the 20th floor, Raven stretches out her arm and shoots out a cable from the device on her wrist. The cable latches onto the roof and she uses her momentum to swing around the building while descending. 

She grits her teeth as a searing pain rips through her side, but she ignores it and lands in a roll on a rooftop of a nearby building forty feet below her. 

Ben lands on the roof next to her and they take off running, leaping across rooftops in hopes of losing the guards by staying above the streets. 

"Did you get hit?" Ben questions as they sprint through the district. 

"I'll be fine," Raven answers. 

Ben glances at her worriedly but decides to say nothing. He then whistles loudly two times, a signal for their birds to follow them.

They are halfway back to their base when Raven starts slowing down.  

"Alright, let's take a break," Ben tells her, gripping her arm to halt her, "I'm sure we've lost them."

Raven doesn't have the energy to argue, so she leans back against a wall and takes a breather. 

Ben kneels in front of her and inspects her wound. The bullet ripped through her protective suit and lodged itself deep in her side just above her right hip bone. 

"I'm going to extract the bullet," Ben warns. 

Raven puts the hilt of her dagger in her mouth and bites down. Ben then digs his fingers into her wound, trying to get a grip on the bullet. 

Raven growls in pain and clenches her hands together. 

"Okay, I'm done,” Ben looks down at the bullet in his hand. It is the same strange kind of ammo that they found on the guard. 

"Let me see that." Raven takes the bullet and looks at it closely before cursing. "It's a tracker.”

Ben’s eyes widen, ”Tracker?!”

Raven throws it over the roof’s edge, then digs through a pouch on her belt for some bandages to temporarily stop the bleeding, “You didn’t get hit, did you?” She questions Ben.

Ben shakes his head and stands, ”No. We should be fine to return to base. Can you make it?”  
   
“Of course,” Raven says stubbornly.

Ben chuckles quietly, ”Let’s be off then.”

The two assassins make their way through the affluent district and sneak past the guarded check-point into the middle-class region.

Each sector is divided up into three districts: The rich, middle-class, and the poor. The economic inequality of the country is at it’s most extreme, and the people don’t have a voice to argue with. They cannot speak up about their concerns, for they fear of being convicted of treason. 

While every poor district is barely livable, sector 2 in the Westward, and sector 4 and 6 in the Southward are the worst. The people there are forced to live just outside the large wall that was built around the wasteland region where the nuclear bomb hit years ago. The land behind the wall is still rich with radiation which has taken the lives of many who live near it. Pills which combat the radiation poisoning are withheld from the poor and are instead kept to the rich and upper middle-class. 

The bomb that hit was made of an experimental technology and it reacted with the atmosphere, causing a deadly gas mixture that is extremely combustible. The effect of the gas causes a constant round of explosions in the lithosphere which create shockwaves that destroy anything and everything in their path. The wall was built to protect the citizens from the deadly shockwaves, but it does not protect from the radiation. 

Sao is based just within the wasteland region in the West ward, in what used to be sector 3. Their base was once an underground government facility that was abandoned when the bomb dropped. The assassins were able to seal it off from the radiation and the facility is deep enough underground to protect them from the shockwaves.

Raven lets out a sigh, ”Things are getting worse here."

The two assassins are currently passing through the poor district of sector 2. The streets are covered in filth, decaying corpses lie in the gutters, and the air feels suffocating. 

Raven spots two children huddled in front of a building. One isn't moving, she doesn't know for sure but it might be dead. The scene reminds her of her own childhood. 

Raven and her brother grew up in the middle-class district of sector 5 in the West ward. She was an outspoken little girl and often rebelled against her teachers in school. Her parents and brother tried their best to protect her, but things only got worse the older she became. 

Children are raised like soldiers. They are given little affection growing up so that they will be less emotional when making decisions later in life. Cruel and unnecessary punishments are given to keep the children in line. Once upon a time, these actions would have been deemed deplorable ...but times have changed. 

Raven's parents loved their children. They gave them affection and love at home, something that was looked down upon. Her parents were punished for this and ordered to give up their children so the government could raise them properly. However, they refused and it cost them their lives. 

Raven and her brother ran from the enforcers and ended up in the poor district of sector 4. They lived on the streets for years until a man named Samuel took them in. He promised them shelter and a way to get back at the government for what they did to their parents. The children agreed and were trained in combat and stealth. Samuel was forming a team of assassins, Raven and her brother were the first to be recruited. He planned a coup against the government, but sadly Samuel was not able to see his team come to victory. He was killed eight years ago in a fight with an enforcer. Raven's brother has since taken up leadership of the team and plans to continue Samuel's objective. 

The two assassins soon reach the deserted land that lies just before the massive wall. No one lives in this area because the radiation is the highest in the entire sector. Without protection, one would only be able to live here for about a month before they would succumb to radiation poisoning. 

The sound of booming shockwaves from the other side of the barrier can now be heard. The wall shakes worryingly with every blast it takes but stands firm just as it had for decades. 

Ben raises his head to the sky and spots their birds flying overhead. He whistles three times and watches as they swoop down, gracefully landing on their masters shoulder’s.

Pulling her protective goggles tight over her eyes, Raven checks that her mask is fitted properly and that the air filters are working. She gives Vex a pet before turning to her partner. "Ready?" She questions him.

He nods after he has pulled his mask down further to cover the bottom half of his face. 

Raven then leads the way through a small, hidden opening in the wall. 

A thick layer of dust and smog hovers in the air on the other side. The ground is barren, not a tree or living creature in sight. Most buildings have been destroyed by the ever pending shockwaves that torment this land. 

A flash of light shines out from within the dark clouds in the distance, and five seconds later comes a powerful shockwave. It hits like a bomb, causing dust, rocks, and other shrapnel to fly with dangerous speed. Raven and Ben crouch down behind part of the metal wall and wait for the wave to pass.

Typically, there is a ten-second window before the next one comes. 

The assassin's base isn’t far into the wasteland, but with the constant shockwaves it takes about ten minutes to get there. They have erected a safe route out of metal sheets to hide behind, but it is still very dangerous. Debris often destroys parts of the metal sheets and makes it difficult to navigate safely. 

Having made the trip through the wasteland many times before, Raven and Ben make their way through it quickly and soon arrive at their base.

Opening the hatch disguised under dirt, they descend down a long ladder which leads to a small, dark room. The lights flicker on as they touch the ground and a thick, metal airlock hatch is revealed on the other side of the room. Ben walks toward it and takes hold of the metal wheel that lies in the center and turns it clockwise to open the heavy door. 

Inside is an even smaller room filled with holes all over the walls. It was designed to wash off the radiation to reduce contaminating the base.

Pressing a button on the wall, a disinfecting shower rains down upon the assassins and their birds. 

Raven lets her shoulders sag and she leans against Ben in exhaustion. 

The shower ends and the door to the base opens.


	2. Chapter 2:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again this is a upload of the new chapter 2.

Chapter 2:

Dropping her equipment on a table in the base's lab. Raven pulls off her mask and goggles, then shrugs out of her black, armored combat suit after Vex has left her shoulder.

Ben does the same and then studies Raven. She is leaning against the table in her under armor clothing that consists of a black tank top and short spandex shorts. She holds her wounded side with a disgruntled look on her face. Raven hates to be injured, it is more of an annoyance than anything else because she knows she will have to take it easy for a few days. 

"You should have Ro take a look at that," Ben tells her, nodding at her wound. 

"At what?" A deep voice questions from behind him. 

Raven's older brother, Micheal, strides into the room. His tall frame dwarves his sister's as he comes to stand in front of her. "Did everything go smoothly?” He asks.

Raven avoids his stare, "Yes. Everything went fine-“

"Rae killed our target," Ben interrupts. 

Raven sends him a hot glare for telling on her, then looks back to her brother. "He didn't-"

"That wasn't your mission!" Micheal growls, his bright green eyes burning into hers. "If you stray off course you can compromise our entire operation!"

"He knew nothing. This was a better way to spread our name," Raven argues, "I told them that we are coming for the Premier. They will soon know that we are not to be taken lightly."

Micheal stares her down for another minute before nodding. "Don't disobey orders again," he warns. 

She gives a mock salute before wincing in pain at the action. The movement caused the pain in her side to flare up. 

"She was hit by a bullet," Ben explains, leaning next to Raven with his arms crossed,”I was able to extract it out on our way back, but we think it was some sort of tracking device."

Micheal nods and turns back to his sister,"Sit down so I can check your wound."

Raven sighs and hops up onto the table next to her gear while Ben leaves to shower.

"It doesn't look poisoned," Micheal mutters as he studies her wound,”But you should have Ro take a look at it anyway.”

Raven nods, too exhausted to argue.

The in-base scientist/weapons maker, James, spots the two siblings and walks over. The brown haired male smiles brightly at them,”How did the job go?” he asks in a thick Scottish accent. 

"It went well, but the incindo glove malfunctioned again," Raven tells him, turning to her gear to find where she stuffed the piece melted tech. Finding it, she hands it to him and also shows the burns it gave her. ”I’m running out of gloves, Jay. Let someone else test it next time.”

James nods as he looks over the glove, "Sorry about that. Will do.”

“Oh, we found these strange bullets. I think they are some kind of tracking device," Raven grabs the bullets from a pouch on her belt and hands them to James. “They seemed to have upped their technology. It went straight through my suit with little resistance.”

James pushes his glasses further up his nose as he examines the ammo, he then walks to her suit to look at the hole the bullet made. His eyes widen,”Extraordinary!" he exclaims. “For these small projectiles to have cut through your modified carbon zanex suit is simply amazing!” He practically praises the enemy.

Michael crosses his arms and raises an eyebrow,”It’s amazing how much more advanced they are?”

James smiles sheepishly upon realizing his mistake,”…I mean it is amazing the amount of new tech I will be able to create with this knowledge.”

Micheal nods,”Better.”

James has designed all of the equipment Sao uses. He is supposed to be one of the greatest minds in all of Ucaidia, so for the CRC to have more advanced tech means he isn’t doing his job right. 

Along with weapons, James has also created sensory and muscle enhancers to increase the assassin’s perception and stealth. 

“If I had the gun that these belonged to I would be able to design a stronger suit for combat,” James mutters as he studies the bullets. “Blu, bring me a p750," He calls out. Seconds later, a Bluejay flies through the room with the tool James asked for and drops it in his hands.  

“I will send someone to fetch you one,” Micheal promises before leaving the lab with Raven.

As they enter the main training room, Micheal’s bird, a Great Grey Shrike, which he named Shriker, flies to him and lands on his shoulder. Raven spots hers near a flock of the other assassin's birds. She whistles loudly to get her attention. 

"Hey, Vex," She pets her longtime friend as the raven lands on her shoulder. 

There are about a dozen assassins sparing with each other currently. They all pause fighting once they see the two siblings enter the room, they stand at attention and place their right fist over their heart and raise the other arm, bent at the elbow in a ninety-degree angle with a fist in the air. This is the common salute of Sao, a showing of their defiance and freedom.

Micheal returns the salute and the group resumes their training. 

Micheal is the leader of Sao, and as his sister and original member of this team Raven also is shown a good amount of respect. After Samuel died Michael took over and he gave Raven the opportunity to lead with him, but she declined. She has skills much greater than the others, but she never wanted the title or responsibility of being a leader. The two siblings are only a year apart, but maturity-wise they have years between them.

They stop at a plaque that hangs on the wall of the training room, around it are names of the fallen assassins etched into the cement.  

'We fight to live, we fight for freedom’ The plaque reads. A quote they all live by on this team. 

"We are finally on our way to our goal," Micheal states, eyeing the plaque with unguarded eyes. "I just wish Samuel was here to help us, to be a part of this."

Micheal and Raven were mere children when the assassin took them in. They lived with him for six long years, training in combat and stealth, becoming master assassins by the young ages of fifteen and sixteen. Samuel had become someone they depended on, he became family. His death struck the siblings hard, especially when Micheal had to take leadership of the small team at the age of nineteen. The first few years were difficult, they were a small group of six who lived off scraps and took assassin contracts to keep themselves afloat. Eventually, they got their footing and now they are the largest team of rebels in the country. 

They are called by many different names. Some call them freedom fighters, rebels, even killers. They are all of these, but the truth of the matter is that they are first and foremost assassins. They kill for their cause and do not hide that fact. While some think it is counter-intuitive to fight for peace by shedding more blood, they see it as the best way forward. Men like the Premier need to be stopped, and they won’t until they are six feet under.

Samuel had been the one to start Sao’s tradition with birds. During World War III, birds were used as spies and also as suicidal dive bombers. To make them smarter and to better follow intricate orders they were genetically tampered with. However, the program was soon terminated when they birds became smarter than anticipated. They gained their own thoughts and rebelled against the scientists. Most of them were disposed of but some got away and lived hidden away for decades, mating and passing on the tampered genetics to their offspring. Samuel found one such bird years ago. The hawk was injured and Samuel nursed it back to health. From then on the bird never left his side, they created a bond of trust and worked as a team to end the Premier’s tyranny. Samuel’s bird gathered others over the years, Sao became a safe haven for them. It has since become a tradition within Sao for the birds to choose a master when a new assassin enters the fold. 

Raven leans onto her brother, "I wish he was here too."

After a moment of silence, Micheal stands straighter, his cold mask falling back into place. “We have a meeting in twenty minutes. Don’t be late.”

Raven sighs and steps away,”On it.” She walks toward the infirmary where Rosanna spends her time as the team’s physician.

The assassin’s base is made up of a maze of tunnels which can be quite disorienting at first, many new recruits often get lost. The air is stale, the ground is dirty, and although it smells quite a bit, it is comforting knowing they are safe and no one is watching their every move. Those who live in the city do not have such luxuries. 

Personal privacy was lost years ago when the Premier ordered cameras to be set in every household for 'safety'. Everything is monitored, which makes it just that much harder for the members of Sao. Maneuvering through cities can be challenging, guarded checkpoints stand in each sector dividing up the districts, and surveillance cameras litter the streets. Luckily, James has engineered some tech that scrambles video feed for a few seconds when the assassins get near any cameras, though it only works on street cameras which have a more generalized feed instead of a private server like the CRC buildings do.

Walking through the concrete hallways, Raven passes by Ben. He was one of the first people Micheal and her recruited years ago, he is also her best friend. 

“Where are you headed?” Ben asks her. 

His accent never fails to make her smile. Once known as a British accent, it is very common now in Ucaidia. Many migrated here decades ago during the third world war, just before the merging of many countries. England and a few others didn’t like the idea of merging with so many non-English speaking countries, so they chose to come here.

“I’m off to see Ro.”

His expression turns to one of concern,”I thought that you would have seen her by now.”

Raven rolls her eyes,”I’m fine.”

He has a frown on his face but nods,”I won’t hold you then.”

As she goes to pass him, he grabs her shoulder and halts her. “I better not find out later that you needed surgery,” he warns with a playful look in his eyes. “I will be mad as hell if you die on me."

She rolls her eyes again and laughs as Vex nips at his fingers. He removes his hand with a yelp and gives the bird a look of betrayal. “I’m just looking out for her,” he tells Vex. She caws at him before flying off.

Ben sucks on his bleeding finger, mumbling, ”Crazy bird.”

Raven smirks and pats his shoulder before walking off, “I’ll let Talon bite me if you want,” She calls out over her shoulder.

He lets out a snort, ”Talon would never. He is a gentleman like me, unlike your uncivilized bird.”

”Hey, you insult my bird, you insult me!”

He smirks wickedly, ”That was the plan.”

She huffs and turns her back on him, striding down the hall with his laughter following her. There is truth in his statement though. Talon is a sweetheart just like him. Meanwhile, Vex is a coldhearted bitch much like Raven herself.

She enters the makeshift hospital and spots Rosanna fixing up a new recruit’s wound. 

"Hey, Ro, I was nicked by a bullet. Mind taking a look at it?" She asks the medic.

The petite redhead answers her with a smile, "Always getting into trouble, Rae,” She tsks. "Of course I'll check it out." She finishes with the man and walks over to where Raven is perched on a bed. Crouching down, she examines Raven’s wound. “Doesn’t look infected.” She smiles up at Raven,”I’ll patch you up in no time.” She gets to work and is soon sending Raven on her way.

Retreating to her small room, Raven takes a quick shower then changes into a pair of pants and a clean shirt. Tying her long, dark hair up into a bun, she then leaves for the meeting.  

~

In the base’s large meeting room, Micheal stands in front of a large screen on a small stage in front of over thirty assassins, all of them waiting patiently for orders. Raven stands off to one side with Ben next to her.

A picture pops up onto the screen behind Micheal. "This," Micheal points to the screen, "Is the Premier of Ucaidia. His name is Arthur Castwell, he is an abhorrent man that rules over this country as a dictator. We kill him, and we end his reign of oppressiveness. We can rebuild this country anew.” 

Micheal paces the stage. ”Fourteen years ago, Sao was created by a great man. We have grown in numbers since then and we are finally ready to begin what we have been planning for years.” Glancing to his Sister, ”Today, Raven killed the first of many who are involved with the Premier. We start small, taking out government members, disrupting their hierarchy pyramid; then we move on to our main goal; and that is killing the Premier.”

“Some of your missions will involve protecting citizens from enforcers. We will need them on our side if we are to take control of this country. This country may fall to chaos without them on our side,” Micheal comes to a halt and gazes out into the crowd. "I will be giving out missions later tonight. For now, this meeting is adjourned." 

The recruits salute their leader before leaving the room. 

"My office, Raven," Micheal says as he passes his sister. 

She lets out a long sigh and follows after her brother, behind her she can hear Ben snickering. 

~

Sitting straight-backed at his desk, Micheal studies his sister with a stoic expression. 

"You wanted to see me, Mikey?" Raven asks teasingly. 

His expression doesn't waiver, ”Don't call me that." 

His sister sighs, "What did I do this time?"

"It’s not what you did, it’s what you will do," Micheal answers.

Raven rolls her eyes at him, “I find it quite rude that you assume I will do something you disapprove of. Now, why am I here?”

Micheal leans back in his chair with a sigh, “…Everything we have worked for is finally coming to fruition. Ucaidia now knows our name, there is no going back. If we mess up we may not find another chance for years.”

“We are ready,” She assures him. “In four years time, the Premier will be dead and we will have control over this country.”

Micheal looks down at his desk and taps his finger on the cool surface. “Four years…”

The siblings had originally planned on this mission lasting a mere four years to reach their goal of ending the Premier’s life. This isn't a lot of time to get done what they need, but they knew they had to act fast. The survival of Ucaidia is hanging in the balance. Whether it finally crumbles from within or is demolished by another nuclear bomb is unclear, but the siblings know they have little time left to putter about.

“I want you to get in contact with the other rebel groups,” Micheal says after a moment. “We need them to know that we have begun our mission to end the Premier. I would like those who want to help to at least keep their ears open for information that could help us.”

There are groups similar to Sao scattered all over Ucaidia, but none have the resources or training that Sao has. Most are poor-classed citizens which refuse to abide by Ucaidia law, but all share the same hatred for the Premier. 

Raven studies her brother with a frown before nodding, “Anything else?”

Micheal shakes his head. Raven stands and salutes him before leaving the room. Micheal closes his eyes and lets out a sigh. 

After years of planning, years of training, now the time has finally come. He can't help but feel anxious. Shaking his head, Micheal opens his eyes and picks up his tablet to scan through some documents.


	3. Chapter 3:

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This still a upload of the new version of chapter 3. I suggest re-reading this if you red the old version.

Chapter 3:

A few months have gone by since Raven’s first mission. Since then, Sao’s popularity has risen exponentially. The assassin group has been pulled into the public eye despite the attempts of the CRC to keep them under wraps. There has been no word from the Premier yet on the matter, but Raven feels it will come soon. 

Sao has already taken out five country wide government officials, and three CRC executive officers. The CRC are beginning to see how serious Sao is, and they are scrambling to alleviate the problem. They have not had a problem such as this for generations, so they are quite unprepared to deal with it. This gives Sao the upper hand, but puts them on a time crunch. The CRC have more man power, that is just a fact. If- When they gain traction things will become a lot more difficult for Sao. 

"I have mission for you and Ben,” Micheal tells his sister. They are sitting in his office once again. “…But I'm not sure if I trust the two of you with it. You work well together but you like to cause mischief.” Such mischief has happened quite a bit over the last few months, which has held Micheal back from putting them on another high profile case. Raven has always been a bit immature.  
“We can handle it,” She assures him. “We are the best team in Sao, you know this. While we mess around sometimes we always get the job done.”

“But at what consequence? We are working higher profile cases now. There is no room for mistakes,” He taps his finger absentmindedly on his tablet. “The CRC recognizes us as a threat now. We are walking a tightrope, and I fear that our time may be running short.”

Raven frowns, ”What do you mean?”

Micheal clears his throat, ”The war is worsening. If things continue as they are I fear that we may not be able to reverse what damage the Premier has made. He has made enemies with the other countries and has refused allies.”

“They could wipe us out before we even have a chance to take control of Ucaidia,” Raven murmurs.

Micheal nods, ”This is troubling, but we cannot predict the future so we shall continue on as planned.”

Raven sits-up straighter, “We will complete this mission efficiently, I assure you.”

A smile threatens to make its way onto Micheal’s lips. “Good,” He turns to his bird, who sits on his pedestal in the corner of the office, and gives the order to retrieve Ben. While they wait for the man, Micheal hands his sister a tablet containing her persona’s bio.

“Zoey Hamilton; Age twenty-five, former resident of sector 7 in the West ward,” Micheal reads out her character details. “Former occupation as a personal assistant at the CRC management in sector 7. The rest is details pertaining to your backstory and former occupancy,” He tells her, “Memorize this word for word.”

Raven studies her bio and nods. A knock at the door alerts them to Ben’s presence. 

“Enter,” Micheal orders.

Ben walks in and takes a seat beside Raven. Micheal hands Ben a tablet of his own and explains their mission.

“You will both be infiltrating the CRC headquarters in sector 6 of the East ward. The CEO, Jonathan Rockwell, works closely with our country’s military branch. He fuels much of their weaponry, as well as equipment for the enforcers. I need you to get whatever information you can and then eliminate him,” Micheal taps his tablet and a blueprint of the CRC building appears on the tablets of Raven and Ben. “There are two factories connected to the main building. After you have taken care of Rockwell you are to plant explosives at these points. This will make a small but impactful dent in our country’s stability.” 

Raven and Ben nod, studying their tablets.

“You will both be working undercover as tech personnel,” Micheal continues, “Raven, you will be the personal assistant to the head of the technical department; Ben, you will be a transfer from sector 5 technical branch,” Micheal informs them, “The faster you can finish this the better, but don’t be reckless. Your mission starts in a week. I will be sending you out sometime in the next few days to scout the area. You are dismissed.”

Ben and Raven stand and give salute before leaving the room.

“Micheal doesn't have much trust in me,” Raven mutters as they walk through the concrete halls of their base.

“I wonder why that is?” Ben teases.

Raven gives his arm a smack, “Don't you have somewhere to be?”

He chuckles, “Alright, I will leave you. I planned to do a training session with Robert anyway.”

“Do you know where Johnny is?” Raven asks him before he leaves.

Ben shrugs, “Not sure. Most likely training some of the newer recruits or relaxing in his quarters.”

The dark haired girl nods and changes direction toward the training hall. Johnny is a senior member of Sao like herself, he was one of the first recruited into Sao along with Ben. Johnny was an old friend of Samuel but he always preferred to be on his own. Things changed when Samuel was killed. Johnny decided to join the young siblings, looking out for them as a lasting promise to the late Samuel. Johnny became a mentor of sorts to the kids who were just barely adults at the time.

Raven finds the tall man in the midst of training five new recruits in hand to hand combat. She walks over to stand next to him as he monitors the group.

“How are they looking?”

“Like shit,” He answers gruffly. Johnny is known to be a man of few words, and he can also be quite harsh. Many members of Sao fear the man, almost more than they fear Micheal.

“Give them a month,” Raven assures him.

His eyes continue to follow the recruits movements, “Why are you here?”

“I wanted to train with you a bit,” She says with a hopeful look.

“No.”

“Come on,” Raven urges, “We could show these recruits a real fight.”

Johnny doesn't respond and Raven is about to give up to go find another sparring partner.

“…Fine,” Johnny finally mutters.

Raven smiles,”Great!”

Johnny whistles loudly to get the attention of the recruits. They instantly stop what they are doing and turn to him with their backs stiff, and hands clasped behind them. Johnny eyes them with narrowed dark eyes before speaking. “Raven and I will be demonstrating some correct fighting techniques. I expect you to pay close attention,” He all but warns.

A few of the recruits gulp nervously, while others look excited to see two elite members spar together. They move to the side of the room to give Raven and Johnny plenty of room to move. They watch on excitedly when the two leaders make no move for weapons. They are fighting hand to hand. The recruits find it hard to believe that someone as tiny as Raven will have any sort of chance against the tall, brusque man, but they soon realize that they have greatly underestimated her.

The fight begins with no warning. Johnny makes the first move; darting forward, aiming a left hook at Raven’s face. The woman ducks, narrowly evading the punch before grabbing said hand and twisting her entire body to off balance him. Johnny lets his body fall and lands in a roll, escaping her grasp on his arm. The two exchange a couple more jabs all in quick succession before Raven manages to climb onto his back and get him into a chokehold with her legs. 

The recruits whoop in excitement at the fierce fight before them. They think Raven is going to win when Johnny suddenly flings her off and tries to get the upper-hand on her. The battle continues for several minutes and eventually ends in a draw since the two assassins are too evenly matched.

Claps echo through the room from the recruits. Raven laughs breathlessly and walks over to shake Johnny’s hand. 

“You held in there nicely, old man,” She teases.

Johnny’s lips lift into a hint of a smile as he grabs her hand. “Cocky bitch.” He then turns to the happy recruits and sends them a glare, “Pair up. I want to see every one of you replicate that last sequence.”

The recruits quickly regain their composer and salute their leader quickly,”Yes, master Johnny,” Before pairing up.

Raven smirks at their diligence and leaves to shower.

~

The East ward was a lot luckier compared to the other wards. Far from the initial nuclear blast, the East ward managed to gain the least damage in all of Ucaidia. While the North was also saved from the effects of the blast, they had to compete with the crippling cold which got progressively worse the years following the nuclear strike. The East recovered the quickest, but it also became the most crowded. Many fell to starvation in the early years of Ucaidia’s recovery. The ward has since become stable but it still holds the highest population density of Ucaidia. The CRC are especially strict in this ward, doing all they can to keep crime down. This has resulted to severe, unjustified punishments. The citizens are living their lives in fear of the people who are supposed to protect them.

It’s mid day in sector 6 of the East ward. The streets in the middle-class district are bustling with men and woman going about their daily routines. Citizens are kept to strict schedules. They each have a time for everything they do; such as: work, shopping, rest period, and schooling (if they are under the age of sixteen). These schedules are encoded in the microchips embedded in every citizen. In Ucaidia it is mandatory that children get a microchip implanted into their left forearm on their thirteenth birthday. These chips also contain a person’s general information, and it is believed that some are now containing a tracking device. 

Raven and her brother never received their microchips. The siblings were living on the streets by the young ages of ten and twelve, having ran from the CRC before they could get chipped. This created a problem later on when they would work undercover, but James had managed to design a patch which he could program to fake out the chip sensors. He also figured out a way to re-write the coding on the assassins who had chips. 

Pushing through the crowd of pedestrians, a young girl breaks through the ranks and looks up for a sign pointing to the harbor. Ashlyn is a mere eleven years old, she shouldn’t even be outside at this time but she is a mischievous girl and managed to sneak out of the house. Her brother is arriving home today and she wanted to greet him at the harbor where his ship is docking. 

Alec is coming home for the first time is two years. He was drafted into the army to fight overseas. This became law once the Premier incited the fourth world war. Boys and girls are drafted into war at the age of sixteen to be thrown out onto the front lines like fodder, as a result, many are killed in their first year of service. The only ones who can escape this fate are those who live in the affluent districts. They can choose to enter the army at their own will, and they also are the only ones who can attend the enforcer academy. 

Finding the sign, Ashlyn takes off running again. Upon reaching the harbor, she squeals with joy when she spots her brother walking off a ship. Sprinting toward him as fast as her tiny legs can move, Ashlyn however, fails to acknowledge her surroundings and ends up slamming into someone's legs. She stumbles back a bit grunt before turning to continue after her brother. She doesn’t make it far because a hand suddenly grips her arm. Ashlyn is yanked to a stop and her blood runs cold when she looks up and finds a very pissed off enforcer. 

"Apologize, you brat!" The enforcer in blue commands. 

Ashlyn freezes up in fear and her mouth refuses to work. She has seen how the enforcers treat the people in her district. Her parents always told her to steer clear from them knowing that they are not against hurting a child.

"I SAID APOLOGIZE!" The man roars and grabs the electric whip from his belt and powers it up. 

"What is the meaning of this?" A voice demands from behind them.

"Alec!" Ashlyn squeals when she spots her older brother walking toward them. 

Her brother ignores her and keeps his eyes trained on the enforcer, "I am her brother. You will tell me what she did to deserve this punishment."

The enforcer grips the girl's arm tightly, "She was running through the streets, pushing people out of her way,” He glares down at Ashlyn, “She will not give a formal apology.”

Alec nods and looks down at his sister, "Apologize,” He commands her in a cold tone, one she has never heard him use before. 

Whimpering, Ashlyn shakes her head in fear. 

Sighing, her brother returns his gaze to the enforcer, ”Give her three lashes for being insubordinate."

Ashlyn's heart breaks at hearing the dead tone of her once caring and protective brother. Why is her brother doing this? He had always protected her from enforcers. The military had obviously changed him in more ways than one. This wasn't the brother she grew up with.

The enforcer smiles darkly and throws the girl to the ground. Ashlyn cries out as her hands and knees hit the pavement. She squeezes her eyes shut and shakes with fear. The enforcer raises his whip high into the air, and Ashlyn tenses in anticipation.

A moment goes by and nothing happens. Ashlyn raises her head in confusion and gasps when she sees the enforcer on the ground next to her, blood seeping from a deep cut in his neck. He is dead. Standing above him is a person dressed in all black, with a raven-like mask covering the bottom half of their face.

“Assassins!” Someone shouts in fear. Those at the harbor start to run from the scene to alert other enforcers.

Ashlyn then sees another person in black holding a knife to her brother’s throat.

"What kind of brother would condemn his own sister?" Ben hisses into Alec's ear.

"You are murderers!" Alec snarls bravely, “Do not act like you have morals.”

Raven steps away from the dead enforcer and grips the front of Alec’s shirt tightly. “We are trying to save you people!” She growls, “We are not your enemy. The Premier and enforcers are. They are the ones punishing and murdering people like your sister for no good reason!”

“D-Do not hurt him!” Ashlyn stutters. She freezes with fear when Raven turns her gaze on her.

“We won’t,” Raven assures, slowly stepping closer to the girl. Her soft green eyes somehow make Ashlyn relax a bit. Raven reaches the girl and extends her hand.

Ashlyn looks at the hand dubiously for a moment for taking hold of it. She lets the assassin help her to her feet. 

Raven smiles beneath her mask,”You’re safe now.”

The young girl sniffles and smiles weakly,"Th-thank you.” 

Raven wipes the tears from the girl’s cheeks,”We protect the people, never forget that."

"W-who are you?"

"We are Sao,” Raven stands and Ben releases Ashlyn's brother. The assassins then sprint away as two enforcers come charging at them. Using the cables from their wrist launchers, they hook onto a nearby building and are pulled up to the rooftops. 

"You really couldn't help yourself, could you?" Ben deadpans as they make their way on the rooftops toward the train station.

She smiles underneath her mask at him, green eyes alight with amusement, ”Was it not our job to spread the word about our group? To show the people we are the good guys?"

He sighs, "Yes, but we have a big mission coming up,” He reminds her, ”You shouldn't be doing things like this. Micheal will be angry."

Raven rolls her eyes, ”He worries too much about me."

"Well, he has a right to worry. This is a dangerous job," Ben tells her in all seriousness, "And with you being as reckless as you are-"

"Hey!" Raven shouts defensively. 

"It's true and you know it. You need to be more cautious, Raven."

“You jumped down there too.”

“To make sure you didn't get your ass hurt.”

Raven rolls her eyes decides not to answer. Ben can be too much like her brother at times. 

~

"That was reckless! Your job was to scout out your mission's base, and then return here." Micheal scolds his sister. He's been at it for the past half hour and Raven is sick of it.

"Okay! I get it!" She snaps, ”We did the scouting, but on the way back I saw a little girl about to be whipped. So I saved her. That's what we are supposed to do, right? Save the people, get them on our side?"

Micheal turns around and fiddles with some new gadgets that James brought to him. "Yes, we are. But, you are a senior member of this group. If something happened to you on some silly rescue mission, it would be a huge disadvantage to this team."

Raven sighs and bows her head. He may sound harsh, but they agreed long ago that the team came before family. 

"I know," Raven mutters in submission, “I’m sorry I acted so recklessly."

He nods and turns back to her, ”Just don't do it again. Now, how did the scouting mission go?"

"Good. The district is fairly busy, it will be easy to blend in. We cleared our apartments of all cameras and mics, and we scouted around the CRC building,” Raven reports, “The security is tight, we counted over one hundred cameras on the exterior and there is most likely double that inside of the building.”

Micheal nods, ”That was expected. What about the factories?”

“We weren’t able to gain access to the inside. There are only two entry points and they were both heavily guarded.”

“Don’t worry about that for now,” Micheal sits down at his desk, “Go pack. Your train leaves in five hours, make sure you are on it.”

Raven nods and is dismissed. She leaves her brother’s office and makes her way to the common room that is reserved for senior members of the team. 

"I look terrible.” Raven hears Ben complain from within the room.

She walks through the doorway and spots Robert and Johnny sitting on a couch.

Ben is currently standing in front of a mirror wearing one of his outfits for the undercover mission. He has a pair of nonprescription glasses on, slacks, and a white button-down tucked into his pants.

“Remind me again why we don’t get to choose our clothing?” Ben questions.

Raven leans against the doorway, “Because my brother is an ass.”

”Because, the last time someone picked their persona’s outfit they fucked up and got caught, compromising the entire mission,” Johnny exclaims in a monotone voice. 

Raven glares at him, “It happened once, and it was years ago. I am older and more responsible now.”

He rolls his eyes and says nothing.

Robert elbows him playfully, ”Lay off, Johnny boy. She is still your superior.”

It’s true. Even with Raven being fourteen years younger than him, she still holds rank over him and most others.

“What has Micheal assigned you two?” Raven questions the older men. Robert is only a year younger than Johnny, making them the oldest members in Sao.

“Training duty,” Robert responds with an obnoxious sigh.

“And also some smaller missions with the enforcers,” Johnny adds impassively.

Ben glances at them over his shoulder, ”Will you be helping with the factories mission?”

Robert nods, ”We will bring you the explosives and help detonate them.”

“Ben,” Raven calls the man over. “We need to pack. We leave in five hours.”

He nods and follows her to their rooms to finish packing for the mission.

Packing their work clothes into large duffle bags, they use another smaller bag to conceal their combat suits and weapons. The bags are both made of a high-density fabric which prevents anything from detecting what is inside. Every district has a checkpoint; they check bags, microchips, and also collect a fee for passage. These bags are an invaluable asset to the assassins.

Raven places another shirt in her bag, but pauses when she notices something is amiss. She could have sworn she just packed a jacket, but now it has disappeared. Raven sighs, “Vex!”

The black bird swoops into the room and lands on her perch. She looks down at Raven in question.

Raven crosses her arms, “Where is it? I know you took it.”

Vex cocks her head and makes a soft cooing sound before taking off again. She returns a moment later with the garment hanging from her beak. 

“Thank you,” Raven grabs the jacket and places it in her bag. However, she is stopped once more when Vex jumps down onto of the bag. Raven sighs and strokes the bird’s feathers, “I'm sorry, but you know you can't come.”

Vex makes another soft coo. The raven hates undercover missions since she is not allowed to accompany her partner.

“Keep Talon company,” Raven urges, “He will be missing Ben.”

Vex caws her answer and leaps onto Rae’s shoulder. 

Finally packing the last of her equipment, Raven hoists her bag’s strap onto the shoulder not occupied by Vex, and steps out of her small room. Raven peeks into Ben’s room. ”You ready?”

Ben lifts his bags off his bed, ”Yep.” Talon is sitting on his shoulder too.

The birds take flight and the two assassins make their way toward the entrance of the base where Micheal is waiting to see them out.

“You have your communicators, if something goes wrong contact me. Have a safe mission,” Micheal tells them.

Raven and Ben salute their leader then walk into the serialization chamber. Putting their masks and goggles over their faces, and pulling their hoods tight they then exit the chamber when the door opens and climb up the ladder to the desolate wasteland that lies above their base.

Quickly making their way through the poor district, they pass over the checkpoint into the middle-class section silently and make their way toward the train station via the rooftops.

“That one is empty,” Ben says, pointing at a dark apartment window across the street.

Raven nods, “It’ll do.”

They leap onto the apartment complex and scale down to said window. Ben picks the lock and they enter the room quietly.

“I’ll change in this room. Meet here in five,” Raven tells him and walks into a bedroom. She shuts the door and places her bag on the bed and then begins to change into her civilian clothes.

This apartment looks to be occupied but Raven notices that no one has been here for at least several days. She doesn’t give it much thought of where the residents are. People go missing and turn up dead quite often in Ucaidia. It’s so easy to end up on the CRC’s bad side. Most of Ucaidia is kept in the dark about such acts, they either fear the CRC and their enforcers, or they believe that they are courageous human beings that protect this country. The CRC know how to make people disappear without a trace, and they are experts at cover stories.

Raven holds her mask in her hands and stares at it pensively. She runs her fingers over its smooth surface with a sigh. She feels naked without her mask, it is very much a piece of her. It is the symbol of her identity within Ucaidia, without it… who is she?

“Rae?” Her partner calls from the other room.

“Coming!” Raven places her mask safely in her bag and zips it closed. Quickly placing the fake microchip patch on her arm, she covers it with her sleeve and then pulls her bag onto her shoulder and walks out of the room.

“Do I look alright?” Ben asks as she comes into view.

Raven scans over his civilian clothing. A simple long-sleeved, grey shirt, paired with black pants make up his outfit. She nods, ”Looks normal. Do you have your chip?”

Ben nods and shows his arm to her. A small, flesh-colored patch sits in the center of his left forearm. 

“Good,” Raven approves, “Let’s go.”

Ben rolls down his sleeve and they exit the apartment complex using a back entrance instead of the window. 

The two assassins are soon boarding the hyper-train to sector 6 where they will begin their undercover mission tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Walking into a CRC building from the front door feels extremely weird for Raven. Having been on a handful of undercover missions before, it still feels odd to walk past enforcers as though invisible. Her outfit makes her no less comfortable. She can not remember the last time she wore a skirt and heels.

Passing through microchip checkpoints is a breeze and she is soon sitting down in an office with a man named, Paul Tidens. He is the assistant CEO of the sector 6 CRC management.

“And you worked in the sector 7 CRC branch in the West ward, am I correct?” The balding man questions. 

Raven nods, ”Yes, sir.”

The man watches her with cold eyes, looking for any sign of weakness or falsehood, then returns his gaze to the file on his tablet. He hums as he reads over the file Michael wrote up, “Everything seems to be in order then,” He raises his gaze back to her, the coldness is gone now. He smiles tightly, “Let me show you to your workstation.”

He guides Raven to the elevator while explaining what stations are located on what floors. Her station, the tech department is located on floor 30 of the 52 floors that make up the building. 

Once on her floor, Raven follows the man down a long hall. The walls are a dull white color with many large windows lining them. Walking past an open room full of people working on computers, Paul tells her that they are monitoring the criminal activity throughout sector 6. 

“We have been busier as of late because of that new rebel group,” Paul says. He glances back at her, “You have seen them on the news, yes?”

Raven nods, ”Of course. They are quite disconcerting.”

Paul nods, ”Yes, but rest assured that we will take them down. The CRC controls every bit of this great country, we will not let those savages run rampant for much longer.”

Raven smiles sardonically at his back, ”I would think no less.”

They enter a room filled with people working at cubicles, typing away on their computers. 

“This is your station,” Paul leads Raven through the room and comes to a stop in front of an office. He turns to look at Raven, ”This is your boss’s office. I will let him finish filling you in on the details of your job,” He knocks and they wait.

“Enter,” A muffled voice calls from within the room.

Paul opens the door and walks in with Raven trailing behind.

A man with dark hair sits behind a desk. He looks to be around Raven’s age, give or take a year or two. He regards the two with warmth, a smile spreading on his handsome face. “What can I do for you today, Paul?”

Paul smiles in return, but not quite as warmly as the other man, ”I will be quick, I have another newcomer arriving in ten minutes. This is your new assistant, Zoey Hamilton,” He looks at Raven and nods.

The female assassin bows formally, ”Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you."

The man behind the desk stands and gives her a bow as well, ”I am Tom Hiddleston, head of the technical branch. I look forward to working with you as well.” 

Raven straightens back up and scans her eyes over her boss. His dark hair is neatly combed back, and his tall, muscular physic is clad in an expensive, dark suit. It is strange to see a man of his position so young. He would be more likely found in an enforcer academy, or in one of those cubicles. 

“Well, I must be going,” Paul says and gives a short bow which the other two return. 

Tom bids him farewell then returns his gaze to Raven once the man has left. “Let us begin, shall we? Over there is your desk," Tom says pointing to a smaller desk that sits in the corner of his office. "I chose to have you in my office with me instead of outside the room to eliminate the needless back and forth it would cause. This way we can talk freely without anything hindering us."

Raven nods silently.

"Most of my work is done by myself. I told them I was not in need of an assistant, but I suppose you will be useful when I need to deliver the odd document or two," He smiles, "I will try to make this as easy as possible for the both of us. I do not intend to use you for trivial things."

Raven smiles and bows her head, "You are very kind, sir."

He looks down a bit bashfully, "I try to be. There are not many who are these days."

Raven narrows her eyes a little as he looks away. It is true that many in his position are not kind, so why is he? Raven is unsure how to feel about this man. She trusts that her brother would put her in a safe position, but Tom seems to have more secrets that she is comfortable with. 

Tom looks back up and she quickly masks her face of suspicion and throws on a smile. 

Tom clears his throat, ”Well, let us sit and I will explain more of what you will be doing.”

~

After an hour of instruction, they take a small lunch break. Tom is very strict when it comes to work. He is a perfectionist and does not tolerate slackers. Raven is surprised by his good work ethic but it doesn’t make her any happier about her situation. She has always hated doing long undercover work, this is no different. 

“Do you have any family?” Tom tries to make conversation as they nibble at their lunch in his office.

Raven shakes her head and recites the biography Micheal provided her with. ”I did not have any siblings, and my parents died from a bombing a couple years back,” She glances to Tom slyly. “And you? Do you have any family?”

Tom nods, “My parents passed away when I was eight so my uncle took me in and became my sole guardian,” He smiles softly as he thinks of his uncle, “He helped me get this job and I have been working here ever since.”

Raven frowns as he takes a bite of his sandwich. A knock at the door interrupts her next question.

“This is the most I have seen you in weeks, Paul,” Tom comments as Paul Tidens enters the office for the second time that day.

Paul gestures to the man behind him, “Tom, meet John Tuttle. He is the transfer from sector 5.”

Tom stands and gives Ben a bow, “Nice to meet you, I am Tom Hiddleston.”

Ben bows as well, ”Likewise,” He stands straight and pushes his glasses back up his nose, awkwardly clearing his throat.

Tom turns to Raven, ”Oh, and this is my new assistant, Zoey Hamilton. She also started today.”

Raven bows her head in greeting. Ben smiles nervously and nods to her, “Hello.”

Tom has a quick word with Paul then turns his attention to Ben, “I will show you where you will be working. Ms. Hamilton, please accompany us.”

Raven follows the men out to the room filled with cubicles. Tom leads them to an empty station. “This is your cube. Please do not be disheartened by the size, I promise that you will rarely spend much of your time here,” Tom assures Ben, “You will mostly be attending to the various electronics of the building when they are not working correctly… which seems to be quite often due to the number of employees working here.”

Tom’s pocket buzz. He pulls out his touch screen and reads the message then looks up at Ben with a smile, “I just got in a job for you. I will send you the details on the tablet you were provided. Ms. Hamilton and I will oversee you on your first job and then you will be on your own.”

Ben nods,”Yes, sir.”

~

Ben feels a bead of sweat drip down his neck as he stares blankly at the frozen computer screen in front of him. He has no idea how to fix this. He has always been terrible with electronics. More often then not he is the one who is breaking them.

Cursing under his breath, he starts to press random buttons hoping one will work. Tom is standing off to the side with the owner of the computer. They are thankfully engaged in a conversation at the moment, but Ben knows he needs to hurry up and fix this machine before they take notice.

Raven is standing beside her boss, slyly planting a small record device on the shelf behind her.

‘I wouldn’t push that,’ A voice says in Ben’s ear. 

The assassin visibly jumps in he seat and looks around wide-eyed. Thankfully only Raven noticed Ben’s little scare.

She casually reaches up as though to scratch her cheek, but instead taps her ear. 

Realization crosses Ben’s face. He looks back down at the computer and whispers, ”James?”

‘The one and only. Rae said you needed some help.’

Ben sighs in relief, ”Please. Micheal really should have thought these job positions through. I have no idea what to do.”

‘That’s why I am here.’ James then goes on to walk Ben through troubleshooting the computer, using the microscopic camera in Ben’s glasses to see by. 

Five minutes later Ben is striding up to Tom with a cocky smile, “All done.”

Tom looks surprised, ”Really?” He walks over to the computer and checks it over. He smiles up at Ben, ”I think you are going to fit in just fine here.”


	5. Chapter 5:

Chapter 5: 

"Have you filed those reports I gave you?" Questions Tom. 

Raven nods, ”Yes, sir.”

He smiles, ”Good. Thank you."

Raven smiles back and then turns to her computer. It has been a week since she started working there. Tom and her had gotten into a good rhythm, they make a good team. During the day Raven keeps an ear out for whispers of Jonathan Rockwell and the so-called secret project he is taking part of. He stays on the uppermost floor of the building and Raven rarely gets the opportunity to be up there. Ben has already downloaded several CRC documents from the computers and tablets he has fixed, but he also has yet to meet the CEO.

Playing the part of assistant has been fairly easy for Raven. Gaining the company’s trust is a vital part of her job and so far she has accomplished said feat. Tom is very trusting, even a bit naive if Raven is being honest, but he is easy to get along with. She still hasn't managed to learn much about the man, however. She refrains from prying too much though, since it could be seen as suspicious. 

"Would you mind taking these documents to Derek Williams on floor thirty-two?" Tom asks her.

Raven smiles and takes the tablet from him, ”Not at all." 

Many of the CEOs and bosses here look down on people like Raven, a mere assistant from a middle-class family. The looks they give her only strengthen her opinion of them. They are disgusting nobles who only think of themselves. ...But Tom is different. Raven prides herself on having a good judgment of people, and while Tom is not an open book she can see on his face that his heart is good… but why is he working here then? Why is he helping the people who ruined their society?

On her way to Mr.Williams office, Raven bumps into Ben in the elevator.

“Oh, hello again,” She greets him with a smile.

He nods, ”Yes, hello.” He bows his head and stares at his feet. There are cameras everywhere, so they try to keep their interactions with each other limited.

Ben is carrying various tablets in the bag strapped to his shoulder. When he isn’t fixing things, he is delivering information between the various tech departments. Paper is rarely used nowadays, so documents are usually delivered throughout the building in personal tablets by hand to avoid anyone from tapping into the network and stealing them. James hates this since it would be so easy for him to get information if it was kept on an internet server of some kind.

Ben pulls at his shirt nervously keeping up the awkward persona that is John Tuttle.

"Urm," Ben clears his throat and digs in his bag, "I-I have some documents for Mr.Hiddleston,” He finds the tablet and holds it out to Raven. 

She takes it with a smile, "Thank you."

The elevator reaches Raven’s stop and she steps out, but not before saying goodbye to Ben. She spots him smile slightly before the doors close. 

Walking through the brightly lit halls, Raven glances out the large glass window on her left. The skies are dark and cloudy as usual, a constant reminder of the damage humanity has done to this planet. Looking away, Raven continues to Mr.Williams office. 

"This is from Mr.Hiddleston," Raven says, handing the tablet to the female assistant sitting outside Mr.Williams office.

The woman nods and takes the device. She is very thin, almost sickly. Her hair drapes over her shoulders in brittle, blonde strands, damaged from the amount of bleaching. She stands and knocks on her boss's door. 

Raven turns and walks a few steps away, but lingers by a window to listen to the interaction behind her.

"What?!" Mr.Williams shouts from within his office. 

His assistant hesitatingly opens the door and walks in with her head bowed, making no eye contact. She holds out the tablet to him, ”This is from Mr.Hiddleston."

Mr.Williams sits at his desk, scowling at the girl. His grey hair covers his head sparsely, making him look a lot older than he actually is. He snatches the tablet out of her hands and lets out a heavy sigh, “That boy does good work, but he is not right for that position. He should have been sent to an enforcer academy like the rest of us.”

Raven walks away before she is caught eavesdropping. She has noticed that Tom isn't too popular among the other workers, even with his charming personality he is still given strange and even dirty looks. High-class citizens are raised in a stiff environment, they are trained early on to portray little emotion, and they are taught that they are better than the lower classes. Tom breaks all of these mannerisms. 

Entering Tom’s office, Raven silently takes her seat at her desk. 

“Did you find him all right?” Tom asks her.

Raven nods, ”His assistant passed the tablet onto him."

Tom smiles, ”Good. Thank you."

The tv screen on the wall suddenly switches on. It does this every day at 3 O’clock for the daily news of Ucaidia. It is mandatory for all citizens to watch.

'We have just received information about another murder involving the rebel group, Sao.' A woman news anchor reports, 'Two of the assassins were spotting near the scene of the crime. They were recognized as Sparrow, and, Falcon.'

Raven suppresses a smile as she sees a clip of Johnny and Robert running across the rooftops.

Tom watches the screen with a slight frown. 

“…Sir, are you alright?” Raven asks hesitatingly.

Tom clears his throat and looks to her, throwing on a strained smile, “Yes. I am fine,” He turns to his computer and pretends to read a document.

Raven bites her lip, “…I know we should not talk about them, but what do you think about the recent murders?”

Tom takes in a deep breath and closes his eyes, “They are awful. Murder is never the answer. If these people have something to say they should do it with civility.”

Raven narrows her eyes at his answer, “Is the murdering of people in other countries justified then?”

Tom snaps his eyes open and looks at her in shock, “Of course not! Killing is terrible in any circumstance,” He sighs and looks away, “I wish things were different, but our Premier believes that war is the only way to keep our country safe from people like Sao. We need to put our trust in him and continue on. He has never led us astray before. Look at how he has made our country better. Once full of hateful and dangerous people, now we live in peace.”

Raven clenches her hands into fists beneath her desk. He is no better then the others who work here. He forces himself to believe the lies the Premier gives and turns a blind eye to the true horrors of this country.

Tom frowns down at his tablet, “We have a full staff meeting with the CEO in ten minutes.”

Raven stands and strides to the door, “I will meet you there. I need to freshen up,” She barely holds herself back from slamming the door behind her as she exits his office.

‘Calm down, Rae,’ Ro’s voice says in her ear, ‘Your blood pressure is spiking. You can’t lose your cool right now.’

Raven enters the safety of a single stall bathroom and slams her hands on sink basin, “He is such hypocrite! How dare he spit such nonsense about the Premier!” Raven growls.

‘They all say that. Why is he getting such a reaction out of you?’ Ro questions.

Raven lets out a deep breath and shakes her head, “I just-“ She gulps, “I don’t know. Never mind,” After a moment she asks flippantly, “Am I calm enough now?” 

Ro sighs, ‘Yes. Keep your cool from now on or I will let Micheal know.’

“Got it,” Raven leaves the bathroom and makes her way to the announcement room. 

Raven knows what made her emotions spike even though she doesn’t want to admit it. She thought Tom was different, or maybe she was hoping that he was.

She soon reaches the large room filled with most of the staff of the building. Tom stands in the corner of the room and waves her over once he spots her walk in. Raven sighs and moves to sit by her boss while they wait for the meeting to start. 

The lights dim and a man walks onto the small stage that sits in the center of the room. He clears his throat and scans his dark eyes over the silent crowd, “As you all should know, I am Johnathan Rockwell, CEO of this sector’s CRC management.” 

Raven’s eyes narrow at the sight of her target. This is the first time she has seen him in person.

“I called you all here because of the current rebel threat,” Rockwell continues, “The two assassins from the news were responsible for the deaths of ten enforcers in this sector. We are raising the security and making mandatory chip checks on each floor because of this. The safety of our staff is of the upmost importance to us.”

Raven gulps a bit nervously as he says that. Every time she has her faux chip checked she is very close to being discovered. James is a genius, but just like any other technology, sometimes there are malfunctions. 

"Sao is a rising threat. We need to put a stop to them now,” Rockwell says, "There are other rebellion groups popping up all over the country because of Sao,” He paces the stage with his hands clasped behind his back, “We know of four assassins from Sao, but we are unsure how big the group truly is. They are organized and have technology that we do not possess.” 

A hologram of Raven in her assassin garb appears on the stage next to Rockwell. The photo catches her in mid-run, obviously a clip from a security camera.

Rockwell circles the hologram, “This was the first of them to appear. We believe she is their leader,” He stops in front of the hologram and studies its bird mask, “We are calling her The Raven,” He turns and scans the crowd, “If you see an assassin do not engage. They are dangerous and will kill you if given the chance. Call the CRC or find the closest enforcer if you do spot one of them. That is all for now, you are dismissed.”

Tom and Raven exit the room silently with all the others and make their way to the elevators. Finding an empty one by chance, Tom and Raven enter and stand in silence.

“Why do you think they wear bird masks?” Tom suddenly questions.

Raven glances at him and sees a confused frown on his face. She shrugs, “Maybe it is symbolic of something.”

Tom ponders that for the rest of the ride.

The elevator comes to a stop and dings as the doors slide open. They exit the lift and pause at the site of a checkpoint stretching across the hall in front of them. Raven did not anticipate them setting up so quickly. With a deep breath, Raven walks toward the enforcer wearing the blue uniform but stops when she feels a light hand on her shoulder. She glances at Tom with a frown, but he isn’t looking at her. She follows his gaze and sees that he is glaring at an enforcer who stands just off to the side. Said enforcer is glaring back at him with a cocky smirk on his lips.

Raven notices that this man isn’t wearing the usual enforcer uniform. He wears a black color which signifies him as one with more authority. He is older than Tom, but not by much. He has a pale complexion and steel grey eyes. 

“Jack, what are you doing here?” Tom questions the man.

Jack crosses his arms with a prideful expression, “I am the new head of security. I thought you would have heard,” His eyes fall onto Raven and narrow suspiciously, “Who is this?”

Tom lets go of her and takes a step back once he notices how close he was. He clears his throat and gestures between them, “Ms. Hamilton, this is Jack Dalton… the new head of security. Jack, this is my personal assistant Zoey Hamilton.”

Raven bows her head in respect while Jack continues to stare at her with a frown. Tom glares at the man, ”Well, we should be getting back to work. Can we pass?”

Jack turns his gaze on Tom and smirks, ”Of course. Step up so we can check your chips.”

Raven walks forward confidently and places her left forearm on a glass screen in front of the other enforcer. She holds her breath has her “chip” is scanned by the machine.

A beep rings out and Raven moves past the checkpoint with a smile pointed at Jack. Tom soon is through and they are leaving for their office. 

“Take care, Thomas,” Jack calls after them.

Tom tenses and then ushers Raven faster down the hall.

Once in the safety of their office Raven sits at her desk and after a moment of silence says.”...He was… nice?”

A loud bang makes her shoot out of her chair and grab her tablet as a weapon. She calms down when she sees it was only Tom. He had slammed his fist on his desk in anger. 

“Sorry,” he apologizes quickly and raises his hands to cover his face with a sigh, “He just gets on my nerves. We- I have known him for years and there is a never-ending rivalry between us.” He lowers his hands and looks at Raven, ”He is a dangerous man, so I advise you to stay clear of him.”

Raven nods and sits back in her seat. “Yes, Sir.” She suddenly remembers something. “Oh! I just remembered that John gave me a tablet for you. I was going to give it to you earlier but the news broadcast and meeting made me forget,” She says as she walks over to hand him the device.

“Oh, Thank you,” He watches her with a soft smile as she sits back down at her desk. 

Tom likes her. She is a good worker and doesn't seem to treat him the way many of the others do. Tom may have colleagues but he does not have friends. The others dislike him, which Tom cannot fathom as to why. He has always gone out of his way to be nice to people, and yet that makes them ostracize him more. But Zoey is different. Tom doesn't know much about her, but he wants to.


	6. chapter 6

Chapter 6:

The room is of modest size for an apartment. A small window on the east wall, a kitchenette located on the west side of the room near the entryway, and couch centered in the room with a tv screen embedded into the wall in front of it. A doorway behind the couch leads to a small bedroom which contains only a bed, dresser, and bathroom.

The two assassins are currently sitting in the main room on the couch, cleaning their weapons.

“Earlier I received a message from Tom, he said that we are tending to Rockwell’s tablet tomorrow. I will be able to scope out his room from the inside and maybe plant a mic,” Raven informs her partner.

Ben nods, ”Good. We should be finishing soon then, yes?”

Raven cocks her gun and nods, ”I will converse with Micheal later and then let you know the details. Are you ready?”

Ben sighs and glances at her, ”Do you think this is smart? The security will only be raised if we do this.”

Raven stands and slides her pistol into the holster strapped to her right thigh. “Micheal’s orders. I am already on thin ice so it’s best to do as he tells us,” She glances down at him, “Besides, this diversion will make them think we are targeting the enforcer housing. They won’t be anticipating our attack on the CRC factories.”

Enforcers of each sector are given apartment blocks to live and train in. It would be suicidal to march a true attack on such a place, but Raven and Ben are planning to just show up and cause a scene rather than a fight.

Ben nods and stands, “You’re right. Let’s get going then.”

~

A shrill alarm sounds as the two assassins sprint down a hall with a group of enforcers on their heels. Raven grabs for a smoke bomb attached to her belt and slings it at the men behind her. A cloud of smoke erupts from behind and the two assassins take that moment to dive into a room on their left.

“This is not how I wanted to spend my Thursday night!” Ben complains as he wrenches open the window that lies on the far wall of the room.

“The sooner we finish this mission the sooner you can sleep all day and play with your bird,” Raven tells him before she dives out the window.

Shooting the cable from her wrist launcher into the side of the building, Raven uses it to slow her descent and swings down to a lower rooftop and lands in a crouch. Ben lands beside her and they take off running.

“I miss Talon,” Ben comments as they stop to hide behind a chimney.

A helicopter flies overhead and shines a spotlight uncomfortably close to them before moving on.

“I miss Vex as well,” Raven agrees, then sends Ben a mock glare, “Stop being so morose. You are bumming me out.”

Her partner chuckles, ”Sorry.”

The two assassins are soon on the move again. They make there way to the sewers to lose the enforcers tailing them, and after a small break they leave for their respective apartments, taking incredible care to not be seen. 

Raven finally enters her apartment two hours later. She drops her equipment on her bed and stretches her back with a groan. With heavy feet, she walks to her bathroom to shower away the smell of the sewers. 

“Three hours until work,” Raven sighs and closes the door behind her, “Great.”

~

“Good morning!” Tom says brightly to Raven as he walks into his office. 

She grunts in response and doesn’t look up from her computer. Tom frowns, a bit offended. 

Raven’s head snaps up a second later her eyes wide, “I am so sorry, sir!” She apologizes profusely, “I-I did not get much sleep last night.”

Tom nods understandingly, ”I was woken by the news of the assassins as well,” He then smiles and shows her the two cups in his hands, “Good thing I brought coffee.”

Raven can’t hold back her smile and takes the coffee gratefully. 

“We should head to Mr.Rockwell’s office soon,” Tom informs her, “I told him we would be there at 8.”

Raven nods and sips from her coffee, she hums in contentment. Coffee is a rare thing for the assassins to have at the base, which is a shame since it is Raven’s favorite drink.

Tom tries not to laugh as he watches her worship the beverage.

They are soon walking through the halls to Rockwell’s office. Upon reaching said room they encounter three security checkpoints, Jack is nowhere to be seen thankfully. 

Tom and Raven pause outside the open door to Rockwell’s office. The man is pacing the room and shouting into his phone. 

“Get in here!” Rockwell orders the two once he gets off his phone. He holds out his tablet to Tom and says gruffly, ”Fix it.”

Tom nods and takes the tablet, “Of course, sir.” He moves to sit in front of Rockwell’s desk and starts tapping away on the device. 

Rockwell finally seems to notice Raven, “Who is she?” He questions, eyeing her suspiciously. 

“My assistant,” Tom explains, “I hope her being here will not be a problem?”

Rockwell grunts and crosses his arms, “I do not trust many to be in my office, but I have more pressing matters at hand,” He checks the time on his phone, “I have to leave for a meeting. Those assassins are given me many headaches,” He sighs and sets his gaze back onto Raven, “I trust that you two will be fine without me?”

Raven bows her head, ”Of course, sir.”

Rockwell nods appreciatively at her answer and leaves the room. 

“You handled that well,” Tom remarks, busy with the tablet.

Raven shrugs, ”I am used to being treated like that.”

Tom pauses for a moment then resumes his tapping.

Raven casually strolls around the room and pretends to be interested in the bookshelves lining the walls, “When will you be done?”

“It should only take me a few minutes.”

“If I may, why am I here?” Raven questions, placing a microscopic camera under a shelf as she brushes past it, “I am not much use to you right now.”

Tom keeps his focus on the device, “…Maybe I wanted your company.”

Raven pauses and sends a fleeting glance at Tom before resuming her casual searching of the office, “I am glad then.”

A small smile spreads on Tom’s face. 

Ten minutes later Tom is finished fixing the tablet and sends Rockwell a message that it is done. 

“He answered back,” Tom informs Raven as he looks down at his touch screen, “He wants us to bring it to meeting room A located on this floor.”

Raven nods and opens the office door, “After you, sir.”

Tom chuckles and passes by her, “I should be the one doing that.”

“Chivalrous as always,” Raven comments with a smile as she follows him down the hall.

Stopping outside the meeting room Tom turns to Raven, “Wait here for me, I should only be a minute.”

Raven nods and watches him disappear through the door.

“Stay put,” Raven hears a voice say from around the corner.

“Yes, daddy,” A higher pitched voice responds.

Raven’s curiosity peaks and she pears around the corner. She sees a little blonde girl sitting in a chair down the hall with a man, presumably her father, standing above her.

“Good girl,” The man pats her head then walks into a room.

The girl looks obviously bored as swings her legs and gazes around the hall. She glances over and spots Raven peeking from behind the corner, her eyes widen and she jumps out of her seat. Raven’s stomach fills with dread as the girl runs over to her. "I remember you!” Ashlyn says loudly. 

Raven finally realizes that this is the girl she protected from being whipped by an enforcer a couple of weeks ago.

Raven gulps and tries to keep her calm, ”Really? Because I do not recall knowing you,” She feels the eyes of everyone in the hall drift to them.

”I remember your eyes! They are so green. I have never seen anyone else with eyes that color,” She slowly frowns, “You saved me. Do you not remember?”

“You saved her?” A deep voice questions from behind Raven, ”I would like to hear that story.”

The assassin’s blood starts to race as she recognizes the voice as Jack Dalton.

Slowly turning to him, she smiles weakly, ”I think she has me confused with someone else,” She lies.

“No!” Ashlyn argues, ”I have met you-“

“Whoops!” Another voice suddenly shouts from the direction behind the young girl.

Raven spins around just in time to see Ben falling to the ground, four cups of coffee flying off the tray he is holding. Raven quickly grabs the girl and yanks her out of harms way and watches as the coffee now sprays onto the head of security. 

Jack screams in agony as hot coffee splashes on his face and seeps through his shirt. He tries to wipe it away but finds that it doesn't alleviate the burning sensation.

“I am so sorry!” Ben apologizes with wide eyes. He scrambles to his feet with the tray of half empty coffee cups still in his hands.

Jack sets a blistering glare on the assassin while Raven slips away with Ashlyn in tow. She drags them around the corner away from prying eyes and hears a shout from the other hall.

“TEN LASHES FOR INSUBORDINATION!” Jack roars.

Raven kneels down to the girl’s height, “Yes, we did meet.”

“I knew it!”

Raven shushes her and pulls out her touch screen, quickly typing up a message. ”Yes, I saved you from being hit by a car. You tripped and almost feel into traffic.”

Ashlyn frowns, ”That did not-“

Raven shows her the message on her phone. It reads ‘Cameras and microphones everywhere. Too dangerous to talk freely. Please keep quiet about my secret.’

Ashlyn reads the message then smiles widely at the assassin and nods, “Yes, thank you for saving me from the car.”

Raven lets out a sigh of relief and stands. 

“Ashlyn! I thought I told you to stay put!” Ashlyn’s father jogs over with an exasperated look on his face. He kneels in front of her and pulls her into a tight hug. 

Raven’s eyes widen at the display of affection. That is greatly look down upon, especially in the affluent district. She clears her throat to gain their attention before anyone else can see.

Ashlyn’s father looks up quickly and releases his daughter. He stands with a fearful look on his face, “I-“

Raven just smiles softly, “You are a good father,” She looks down at Ashlyn, “Keep an eye on this one.”

He blinks multiple times, looking to be in shock before nodding quickly and pulling his daughter down the hall.

Raven sighs and turns the corner to see that a small crowd has formed to watch Ben’s punishment. Raven turns her back on the sight and walks away to find Tom, wincing at the sound of every slap of the whip against Ben’s flesh.

“There you are!” Raven spins around to find a worried looking Tom.

“Is something wrong?” She asks him.

He lets out a sigh of relief and shakes his head, “When I heard it was Jack giving a punishment I worried for you,” He tells her, ”I thought he might have taken the anger he has for me out on you.”

“You should be more worried for John. He is the one getting punished.”

Tom frowns, ”Tuttle?”

Raven nods. She watches as anger washes over his face. Tom then turns and marches to the crowd of people that still surround Jack and Ben.

“Jack! Stop this at once!” He orders as he pushes his way to the front. 

Jack pauses mid whip and sizes Tom up, “You do know it is against the law to stop a punishment from being given, do you not?” He questions Tom with a smirk. 

“He is from my department so he is my responsibility. I decide how and when to punish him,” Tom says sternly. 

The two men glare at each other, daring the other to back down. After a moment Jack breaks the gaze and places his electrified whip back into it’s holster. He glares at the crowd around them, “Back to work!” The crowd quickly disperses and Jack leaves in a huff.

Tom sighs and moves to Ben’s side, “Are you okay?”

Ben nods weakly, wincing as Tom helps him stand. Raven joins them and throws a blanket over Ben’s shoulders to hide his wounds then helps Tom guide him to the infirmary where Ben is soon released and allowed to go home to rest. 

Tom and Raven return to their office, and Tom surprises her by letting her leave early as well.

“You were exceptional today,” Tom tells her, “I think you deserve the rest of the day off. Go rest and maybe check in on John. I know that is a lot to ask of you. I do not know how close you two are but I am worried about his condition. The nurse did not help as much as I was hoping.”

So now Raven is on her way to Ben’s with the perfect alibi should anyone get suspicious of them meeting outside of work.

~

Walking into the living room, Raven finds Ben wincing as he tries to wrap some fresh bandages on his wounds.

“You’re hopeless,” Raven sighs.

Ben jumps at the sound of her voice, “Some help would be very appreciated,” He mutters.

Raven sits him down on the couch and sets about cleaning his wounds and bandaging them.

“Thank you, for what you did,” She tells him.

He frowns and glances back at her, ”What do you mean?”

“That little girl, she knew who I was. Jack was getting really suspicious. You were distracting him, weren’t you?” She questions in confusion.

Ben shakes his head, “No, I tripped by accident.”

“Seriously?” She deadpans.

He chuckles, ”Yes, but I will take that gratitude since you don’t hand them out often.”

Raven rolls her eyes and continues to bandage her friend. 

“Have you contacted Micheal yet?” Ben asks his partner.

She shakes her head and puts down the gauze, “No. I will call him now,” She presses a spot behind her ear and waits for an answer.

‘Robert here.’ 

“Rob, can you patch me in to my brother?”

‘Sure thing. One moment.’

Her brother answers a minute later, ‘How is the mission going?’

“Good. As im sure you already know I was able to plant a camera in Rockwell’s office.”

‘Yes,’ He pauses. 

Raven frowns, “Micheal?”

‘We heard him discussing a secret plan… Things have changed, Raven. We need to speed up our mission of ending the Premier’s reign.’

Raven gulps, ”What is the secret plan?”

'Raven, they were plans to build a bomb bigger than anything this world has seen before,’ He pauses, 'They plan to destroy Europa and take over as the main power of Earth. After that, they will make Asia and Russia submit to them, becoming the largest dictatorship the world has ever known.’

Her body freezes, feeling as though the breath has been knocked out of her, ”…Holy shit."

Having heard the exchange, Ben sits in shock beside her taking in the life changing news.

‘I’m pulling you both from your mission early.’ Micheal tells them. ‘We need to regroup and prepare for our next course of action.’

Raven gulps, “What is our next objective?”

‘For now, make your way back to base. We will converse more when you two arrive.’ The call ends. 

Raven closes her eyes and lets out a deep breath.

“This is getting out of hand,” Ben murmurs, “We need to take out the Premier now.”

Raven shakes her head, ”We aren’t ready. Even if we could find him, killing him now might make things worse,” She sighs and opens her eyes, ”I’m going to take my leave now. Are you feeling better?”

Ben nods, ”I’m fine. Go get some rest. We will leave before sunrise.”

Raven gives him one of her rare hugs then leaves for her apartment.


	7. chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Tom walks into his office with two coffees in hand. He noticed how much Zoey enjoyed the drink so he thought he would treat her to it again. She deserves it, especially after her efforts yesterday. She had remained so calm when guiding John to the infirmary, Tom was very impressed with her.

Tom frowns a bit when he finds his office empty. Usually she is here before him, but Tom realizes she must have been exhausted over the exciting events of yesterday so he tries not to worry too much. He begins to go over the documents on his computer and the next time he checks the clock he sees that Zoey is over an hour late. This is really disconcerting to him. You do not skip work in Ucaidia, the only pass you get is if you have become very ill and have contacted a doctor. The consequences of playing hooky is quite extreme, so it is rare for workers and students alike to miss a day.

Tom looks over at Zoey’s empty desk as he drums his fingers absentmindedly on his knee. He then picks up his phone and dials Zoey’s number. It rings for awhile with no answer. Tom frowns and tries again but his efforts are fruitless. With a sigh, he decides to call Paul to see if Zoey contacted him at all.

‘No, I have not heard from her,’ Paul Tidens responds a bit gruffly, ‘I know she is new, but she should know that it is company policy to call in if sick.’

Tom runs his hand over his face, ”I know. I do not wish for her to be sick, but I would not want her to get in trouble with the enforcers either. Yesterday-“ His eyes widen, “Hold on a moment.” Tom quickly gets to his feet and rushes out of his office. He scans the cubicles but does not find the person he wants. “Has anyone seen, John Tuttle, today?” He questions the room.

The workers look up from their computers and shakes their heads. A woman tentatively stands, gaining Tom’s attention.

“Yes?” He asks.

“I-I live in the same apartment block as him, Sir,” She stutters, “I did not see him leave today. Or that woman. Your assistant.”

Tom feels a pit forming in his stomach. He nods to the woman, “Thank you,” Before he returns to his office. He picks up his phone again, “Paul? Are you still there?”

‘Yes, I am here.’

“John Tuttle is also missing,” Tom thrums his fingers on his desk, “Tuttle was hurt yesterday, but it is starting to worry me that he has not contacted any doctor.”

‘Try not to worry,’ Paul tells him, ‘I have to contact a squad to go check on them anyway. Since this is their first offense they may get off with a warning. I will contact you when I know more.’

Tom frowns, but he knows that he cannot do anything more. “Thank you. Have a good day, Paul.”

‘You too, Tom.’

Lowering his phone, Tom leans back in his chair with a heavy sigh. Something doesn't feel right to him. Zoey wouldn't do this unless she absolutely had to. He knows that he hasn't known her long, but he feels that she isn't the kind of person to do something so reckless. Her job is at stake now.

Looking down at the now cold coffee, Tom shakes his head and returns his gaze to his computer in hopes of distracting himself from his thoughts.

~

“Do you think he will worry?”

Ben frowns, “Who?”

“Tom. I would hate for this to upset him,” Raven says, “Our sudden disappearance will cause some sort of uproar I would assume.”

Ben hums in agreement, “Yes, it will bring up some questions. Hope it isn't too hard for them to find replacements.”

Raven smacks his arm playfully, “Cheeky bastard.”

Ben chuckles as they walk out of the decontaminate shower and into the halls of Sao. “No, on a serious note I do hope that it will not cause him too much trouble. Tom is a good man compared to those around him,” Ben sighs, “I fear for him. He won’t last long in that society if he continues as he is. Saving me from that enforcer could have gotten him into loads of trouble.”

Raven nods, a somber expression on her face, “In time he will figure out how to blend in and keep his head down.”

The flapping of wings grab her attention. Rounding the corner, Raven spots Vex flying toward them. The bird lands on the assassin’s arm and makes a low clicking sound with her beak, a sound Raven has come to know as a message pertaining to her brother.

“Micheal wants us,“ Raven tells Ben as she strokes Vex’s feathers.

Ben grunts as he re-adjusts his bag on his shoulder, “Let’s not keep him waiting then.” His back is killing him but it seems like it might be awhile before he can get it checked by Ro.

A large condor flies down the corridor and goes to land on Ben’s shoulder but Vex lets out a loud screech, stopping the condor from doing so. Talon instead lands on the ground in front of the assassins and looks up at his partner.

Raven smirks at Ben, “You can't say anymore bad things about Vex. She just saved you from more back pain.”

Ben rolls his eyes and kneels down to pet his bird. “Hey, Tal. Miss me?”

Talon makes a deep croaking sound and nuzzles his hand. Ben smiles fondly at the bird. “Just a scratch. No landing on my shoulder for a bit, please.”  
Talon then pecks at Ben’s bag until he removes it from his shoulder. The bird grips the strap with it’s talons and then takes flight down the hall to Ben’s room to deposit the bag. 

Ben chuckles and calls after the bird, “Thank you!”

Raven helps him to his feet and they make their way to Micheal’s office with Vex leading the way. The halls are rather empty at the moment, most of the assassins are sleeping since they were out all night on missions. The sun had just begun to rise as Raven and Ben entered their sector. Although the sun and moon are constantly covered by thick clouds, there is a small change in light which makes it possible to know when it is daytime or night without needing a clock.

“Enter,” Micheal calls out when Raven knocks on his door.

Raven and Ben take a seat in front of the desk while Micheal stands behind it. He crosses his arm, “First off, give me your mission report, then we will discuss our next move.”

Raven nods and begins to recount anything of importance. She does however try to slide past Ashlyn recognizing her, but her brother isn't so early fooled.

“Wait a minute,” Micheal stops her, “You said this enforcer just started interrogating you before Ben stepped in. Why was he so suspicious? What did you do?”

Raven gulps, “Technically I did nothing-“

“Don't give me that bullshit, Rae,” Micheal narrows his eyes at his sister as he crosses his arms.

Sighing, Raven tells him the truth, “I was recognized.”

Micheal’s eyes widen a fraction,”How?”

“That little girl I saved, before starting this mission, she was in the building. Her father apparently worked there. I had no way of knowing she had a connection there-“

Micheal runs his hand over his face with a heavy sigh, “That is precisely why I warned you about doing small missions. The assassins I send on those types of missions would never do an undercover job, unlike you where it is possible for someone to recognize you,” He grits his teeth, “It’s a good thing I took you off this mission when I did.”

The room goes silent while Micheal tries to calm himself down. He is known to be a fairly calm man, but goddamn does his sister know how to fire him up. 

Once back in control of himself, Michael proceeds to explain their next move. “We have found out that there will be a secret meeting with Rockwell and the other East ward CRC leaders in about a weeks time. The meeting will be held in your sector’s building,” Micheal explains, “You and Ben will be taking on this mission since you already know the layout of the building and have access to it. Get as much information about this bomb as you can and then take them out. We will hold off on the attack of the factories for now.”

Raven nods, “We will get it done. Is there anything else? Ben really needs to see Ro about his back.”

Micheal sits down in his chair and waves them off, “That is all. You can go.”

Raven helps Ben to his feet and guides him to the infirmary where Ro spends most of her time. The medicine Ben was given in the East ward was hardly comparable to what Sao has. It had numbed the pain a bit, but it did nothing to heal the wounds. Luckily, James and Ro have made leaps and bounds regarding medicine and enhancers. This is very useful since it is quite dangerous being an assassin.

“Ro?” Raven calls out as they enter the infirmary, “Ro! We need some help.”

The petite redhead exits a back room and rushes over, “What happened?”

“He was whipped by an enforcer,” Raven tells her as she sits Ben on one of the many beds filling the room. 

Ro shakes her head as she helps Ben out of his combat suit, “Nasty things those electrified whips are. They rip and cauterize the flesh which makes the wounds harder to heal.”

Raven takes a seat on the bed across from Ben and relaxes her shoulders, “You’ve fixed worse wounds.”

Ro smirks as she begins looking over his cuts, “That is true,” She glances at Raven, “This shouldn't take too long. You should get some rest.”

Raven nods and pushes herself to her feet. She pats Ben on the head as she moves toward the door, “See you later. I will check up on you when I wake.”

“Yes, mom,” Ben responds cheekily.

Raven gives him the middles finger before walking out of the room.

~

“They are not there?!” Tom responds incredulously, “Have you checked the cameras?”

‘They were disabled somehow. We do not know as of yet if this was purposely done or a technical error, but regardless we have no way of finding out what happened,’ Paul tells him, ‘The cameras outside the apartments never picked up footage of them leaving. …It is like they just disappeared.’

Tom frowns, “This is impossible! People cannot just-“ He pauses when a scary thought enters his mind. “…You do not think that the assassins may have done this, do you?”

Paul is quiet for a moment, ‘I do not wish to worry you, …but it is a possibility.’

Tom feels a splash of cold run down his back.

‘The assassins of Sao were recently seen in this sector. It is possible that these two were taken as leverage, or maybe to be questioned. However, we have not been contacted by anyone about this yet, so we believe this is not about leverage of some kind.’

Tom gulps, “Is there anything I can do?”

‘Not really. We will take care of this, Tom. Try to relax, maybe start looking for replacements. I am not sure how long this investigation will go on for.’

Tom’s mouth falls agape. H-How can he write them off so easily? Look for replacements? These peoples live’s may be on the line!

Tom ends the call and slams his phone down on his desk. He buries his head in his hands with a heavy sigh.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

The days have gone by rather quickly since Raven and Ben have been home. Adapting back to life in Sao was rather easy since they weren't gone for an exceptional amount of time, but there are things Raven will miss from civilian life. The beds are one thing, and the coffee is another. She had forgotten how nice those luxuries can be.

Ben’s wounds have healed up quite quickly with the help of Ro and her medicine. He will have some faint scarring, but that is nothing new to the assassins. He should be fine for the mission tomorrow.

“I heard that you two were pulled early from your mission,” Robert says as he sits with Raven and Ben in the mess hall. “Micheal’s been pretty tight-lipped about the whole situation.”

Raven nods as she takes a sip of water, “Something came up and we needed to regroup. Ben and I will have more information tomorrow hopefully.”

Robert nods and turns to Ben, “How have you healed up? Ro mentioned treating you recently.”

Ben smiles, “I'm all better. That woman is a lifesaver, literally.”

Robert chuckles, “Don't I know it. I took a bullet to the knee at my last mission. That was a day ago, and I'm already walking again.”

“Before she joined Sao a wound like that would have had us out of commission for weeks,” Raven recollects.

Ben grunts as he takes a swig of his drink, “Painful memories. It’s no wonder it took us so long getting our feet under us. Sao was basically made possible by James and Ro. Without them we would have no tech, no enhancers, and we would be waiting weeks for our wounds to heal.”

“We should get them a cake or something,” Raven comments.

Ben chuckles, “Sure. On our way back from the East ward we will pick them up a cake.”

~

Work has been strange for Tom. Everyone around him seems to have accepted so easily that Zoey and Tuttle and now gone. It is like the two have never worked there. Tom finds this extremely disconcerting. He has never heard of anything like this happening, so he is confused why everyone is so calm about something he deems to be quite serious. It is like they don't even care, and that is frustrating for Tom.

Working is difficult. Even now, Tom finds his mind wandering to the assassins he has seen on the news. What could they really hope to gain from someone like Zoey or Tuttle? They are fairly unimportant within a company as big as this one, and they shouldn't know any company secrets that the assassins could hope to gain. This bothers Tom for the next few days.

~

Both dressed in their black combat suits and masks, Raven and Ben leap from roof to roof as they navigate through the affluent district in sector 6. They quickly make their way to the CRC building and scan the area from a nearby roof.

“The roof door should open with our badges,” Raven tells Ben, “Once inside we head down a floor where the meeting is being held. We won’t make a move until the meeting is finished. If we don't learn enough I will interrogate them if I need to before taking them out.”

The two assassins quickly make their way onto the rooftop and Raven uses her badge to open the unguarded door. Splitting up; Raven climbs into the air duct, while Ben moves to take command of the surveillance room.

Ben slinks down the hall silently, keeping a lookout for guards patrolling the floor. He manages to avoid all and soon reaches the surveillance room. However, three enforcers are standing in front of the door. Ben loads his crossbow with a dart and leans around the corner to take aim. 

With one silent shot, he takes out all three guards at once. Moving quickly to the room, he snatches a key card from one of the enforcers and scans it on a pad next to the door. He hears a click as the door is unlocked and enters the room with his pistol at the ready. He takes out three more men inside the room and then goes back to collect the men on the ground outside. After hiding the bodies he sits in front of the many screens and finds the one of the meeting room.

“I'm in position,” Ben tells his partner.

Meanwhile, Raven shimmies down the metal air duct until she is right over the meeting room. She can sense six people sitting around a table directly beneath her, and three others stand by the doorways.

‘Shit.’ She hears Ben curse. ‘Tom is here.’

Raven’s eyes widen,”What? Where?!” She whispers.

‘In the meeting room. He is sitting in a chair against one of the walls.’

Raven grits her teeth,”Shit. Well, continue with the plan as before. I will take him out if I have to.” She gulps, really hoping she won’t have to kill him.

Zeroing in on the voices beneath her, she begins to listen in.

“-We need to put a stop to them now!” One of the men below argues, “Other rebellion factions are popping up all over Ucaidia.”

“Sao is giving them hope,” Another agrees, “Remove them and the rest will crumble.”

“It is easier said than done,” Raven recognizes this as Rockwell’s voice. “They have tech that we do not possess yet. They have the upper hand at the moment.”

“Yes, for the moment,” Another agrees slyly, “But all we must do is keep them occupied for a few more months at most. Our plan should be well underway by then.”

“…Should we be speaking about this with him here?” One questions timidly.

“I believe he will be a good asset to us,” Rockwell assures the man. “Thomas, come introduce yourself.”

Raven hears the man stand and make his way to the table. “My name is Tom Hiddleston, I am the head of the technical department at this facility.”

‘Is Tom working with them?’ Ben questions, ‘They have the mics disabled so I can't hear anything.’

“No, he doesn't seem to know anything,” Raven whispers, “It looks like they are trying to recruit him, however.”

Raven listens to the men for the next hour before she finally gets the information she came here for.

“Tom, we could really use you for this big project of ours,” Rockwell says to him, “It is of the upmost importance that no one else knows of this project. The Premier is directly handling this, so you know that the consequences will be grave if you fail us.”

Tom gulps, “Yes, of course. I am be honored to be part of something this important.”

Rockwell claps his hands together, “Excellent! Come take a seat while we discuss this further.”

Tom takes a seat at the large table, ignoring the unsure looks of Rockwell’s colleagues. He clears his throat, “If I may, what exactly is this project?”

“I was just getting to that,” Rockwell leans forward and pushes a tablet to Tom, “That should have your answer.”  
Tom picks up the device and begins to look over the documents contained within it while Rockwell speaks. 

“The war is getting worse. If we are to have any hope in winning it, then we are going to have to make some stuff decisions.”

Tom looks up from the tablet with aid eyes, “T-This is plans for a nuclear weapon.”

Rockwell nods, “It is our best shot at winning this war. We will be saving thousands of Ucaidian lives by doing this-“

“But you will be murdering millions of others!” Tom responds appalled, “These plans show multiple bomb designs. you are not planning on using them all, are you?”

Rockwell stares at him with cold eyes, “We will make as many as it takes for them to submit.”

“Jonathan!” One of the other men hisses, “You should not have brought him here. This was a bad idea.”

Raven sighs heavily as they start to argue. This is going nowhere.

“I’m heading in,” Raven tells Ben, “That tablet should tell us everything we need to know.”

‘Alright, I locked the doors to the room. I will keep an eye on the halls.’

Gently removing the grating in the floor of the air duct, Raven grabs a round device from her belt and drops it down into the room below her.

Shouts echo through the room as smoke emerges from the device. Raven drops down and swiftly kills two of the men sitting at the table with her dagger, then moves toward the doors where she knows two enforcers were standing. She sees them trying to get the doors open to no avail. Shooting them each through the head with her silent pistol, Raven then finds the other three CRC leaders through the dispersing smoke and takes them out as well.

The sound of a gun cocking right by her ear makes Raven freeze.

“You have failed, assassin,” Rockwell sneers.

Raven quickly spins around and snatches the gun out of his hands. She stares cooly at Rockwell as she points his own gun at himself, “Not yet.” Raven shoves the man into a chair and snatches the tablet from the table. 

“Drop the gun,” A wavering voice commands from behind Raven.

Raven glances behind herself and sees Tom with one of the enforces guns in his hand. He looks like he has never even held a gun before.

“Drop it or I will shoot!” Tom warns.

Calling his bluff, Raven shoots Rockwell point blank and turns fully towards Tom. The man’s eyes widen in disbelief, and the gun falls from his hand. 

He stumbles back a few steps, his eyes locked on her vibrant green ones, “Z-Zoey?!”

Raven sighs and removes her mask.

“Why are you doing this?” Tom questions, “Are the assassins forcing you? I can help-“

“I'm one of them, I always was,” Raven reveals, “I was undercover to gain information from Rockwell.” She shows him the tablet, “I got what I came here for. I'm sorry if this inconvenienced you.” 

Tom huffs a laugh, “Inconvenienced me? You must be joking. You just killed eight people!  
Raven narrows her eyes, “I don't want to kill you if I down have to.”

“Why?” He snaps, “Why spare me when you have killed so many others already?”

“Because you aren't like them. I know it may be hard to believe, but I do have some morals,” Raven tells him, “Sao’s goal is to end the Premier’s reign of terror over this country and bring about a new age of peace. The CRC are the poison that the Premier spreads.”

Tom frowns, “The Premier has done nothing so terrible. He-“

“Have you seen the poor districts? There are children dying on the streets because they have no food or homes! The enforcers punish people for the smallest of things,” Raven barks, “My parents were killed because of the fucked up society we live in! The Premier rules over us as a dictator, only showing mercy to those with money!”

Tom’s face forms an expression of confusion, “What? That is untrue. The poor are given homes and rations of food. They live happily in their own portion of the sectors.”

Raven’s eyes widen a fraction, ”You really believe that, don’t you?”

‘Raven! We are running out of time!’ Ben shouts through her earpiece, ‘The guards have noticed something is wrong. We need to go!’

Raven growls in frustration and throws the gun to the ground then pulls out her crossbow from the holster on her left leg and shoots a sleep dart at Tom. He crumples to the floor in seconds and Raven takes the opportunity to leave.

Exiting through the door of the room, Raven sprints through the halls as she makes her way back to the roof. She runs into Ben on the way and together they flee for the roof exit. Raven can sense a large amount of enforcers pouring onto the floor, but it is too late for them. The assassins reach the roof and make their descent with the help of their cable device on their wrist.

“You got everything you needed?” Ben questions as they run.

Raven nods, ”Yes, but it is more worrying than we had originally expected. Micheal isn't going to like it.”

Ben sighs, “Let’s just get home. I’m sick of this sector.”


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

Upon arrival at Sao’s base, Raven and Ben are pulled into Micheal’s office, along with Robert and Johnny, where they stay for the next few hours going over what the contents of the tablet. They find some disconcerting things which causes quite the debate.

“We need to stop this before it becomes further from our grasp,” Micheal argues, “We know where they are building it, so I think we should plan a attack as soon as possible.”

“We would be going in blind,” Raven fires back, “The plans on this tablet don't give us nearly as much information as we need.”

“I agree with Raven,” Ben joins in, “We may know the location but we have no idea how far into construction they are with it.”

Robert crosses his arm, “Which is exactly why we need to face this now.”

“Well, from what Raven told us it seemed like they were still recruiting people to work on the bomb,” Johnny adds, “We can assume they aren't close to finishing if that is the case.”

Micheal stands up from his chair to pace, “I don't like going on an assumption like that. If we are wrong it could cost millions of people their lives. Going after the Premier will be pointless if he successfully bombs one of the other countries. Ucaidia would be pulled into a nuclear war that I fear we would not walk away from.” He runs his hand through his hair and looks at his sister, “That man, the one you worked undercover for, you left him alive, right?”

Raven nods, “I did.”

“Do you think he would have any more information we could use?”

She shakes her head, “He knew nothing of the project beforehand, and he basically refused to join them on it.”

“Did you two talk at all?”

Raven avoids his gaze, “We exchanged a few words.”

Micheal’s eyes narrow, “Did he recognize you?”

Raven doesn't answer.

“Did he recognize you?” Micheal questions again, more firmly this time.

“Yes,” Raven mutters.

There is a beat of silence before Micheal speaks again, in a low growl, “And you left him alive? You left a man alive who knows your face and works directly for the CRC!” Micheal’s voice rises to a roar, “What is our first rule?! Never be seen! What were you thinking?! The CRC will have your face plastered all over the country by tomorrow! You will never be able to go undercover again!”

Raven stands and throws her arms out in frustration, ”I made a mistake!” She yells back, “It was my judgment, and I chose to spare him! He didn't deserve to die like the rest!”

Her brother walks around the desk to her and glares her down, ”You are a senior member of this team. You cannot be making mistakes like this! You must take responsibility and be a good example of a leader for the others.”

Raven clenches her hands into fists, ”I DON’T WANT TO BE A LEADER!” She roars, ”YOU BRING THIS UP EVERY TIME I DO SOMETHING WRONG!"

“THEN MAYBE YOU SHOULD BE DOING YOUR JOB RIGHT!”

They have had this argument many times before so Raven bites her tongue before the fight escalates further. The rest of the elite team wait in an awkward silence while the two siblings calm down.

Micheal returns to his desk and runs his hand through his hair. “We are taking care of this bomb threat within the week,” He decides. His eyes lock onto his sister, “After it is dealt with I will be sending someone to fix your mistake. You are all dismissed.”

Raven gulps and stands. She leaves the room without another word and walks to her room to be alone. Once entering her room, she removes her tight combat suit with a relaxed sigh and changes into something more comfortable.

“How are you doing, girl?” She asks Vex, who is siting on her perch.

The raven caws in response and then walks into her little enclosed space that she usually sleeps in. Raven smiles and then lays down on her mat with a heavy sigh.

~

It is the next day when Micheal calls for another meeting. The Elite team, as well as a few other members, wait in anticipation as they sit in the meeting room awaiting orders. Micheal stands at the head of the table with a brooding look on his face.

“We have gotten word of a nuclear bomb being built in the Eastern ward’s sector 6 CRC branch,” Micheal announces, “I am sending in Johnny, Ben, Martin, and James to disable the bomb. Raven, Jared, and Jensen will be back up for them.”

Raven perks up a bit at that. She wasn't expecting being put on the team after their argument. She is glad he isn't being childish about this. But why is James going? He has been part of Sao for a long time, but he isn't used to being in combat. The man rarely leaves his little lab, let alone the base.

“As of right now, we attack in four days."

"Four days?!" Raven explodes, ”Shouldn't we take longer to plan and get ready? That is not enough-”

"We have no idea how far along they are with this bomb,” Michael interrupts her, “We need to eliminate the threat as soon as possible.”

Raven sits back in her chair with a grunt.

Micheal brings up the blueprints of two buildings on the glass table in front of them. He points at one of the buildings, ”Our sources point to factory B as the building containing the bomb. Johnny’s team will handle dismantling it, while Raven’s team takes out guards from the surrounding area. The quicker we can put them behind schedule the better. After this threat is dealt with we can work on dismantling their manufacturing unity creating these bombs so this won’t happen again.”

“Why is James going?” Raven questions. She looks to James with an apologetic smile, ”Not that I don’t want you to come.”

Micheal lets out a sigh, ”I was getting to that. He is coming because if anyone can disable a bomb, it’s him,” He looks at James, then back to the rest of them, ”It will be difficult. You will have to protect James at all times. Without him, this plan will fail.”

“So how will we enter the factories?” Ben questions, ”Rae and I know that they have top-notch security. The roof is inaccessible for those buildings, the only way in is two entrance doors but those will be fully guarded after our attack yesterday.”

Micheal points to a small area on the blueprints, ”We found that there is an old airshaft below the two factories that connects to a sewer pipe. It shouldn’t be guarded and allows easy access to both buildings.”

“How do we get to the pipe?” Jensen asks, scratching his stubbly cheek.

James then takes over the conversation, “The pipe is approximately a meter and a half in diameter, and is continuous for miles. It is fully underwater. There is an entryway to the pipe near the coastal inlet a couple miles north of the buildings,” he explains and brings up a new map to show where the inlet is located. 

Robert crosses his arms, ”And how do you expect them to make it to the factory from that far away?” He questions, ”Scuba gear would be too bulky to fit in the pipe and would only cause complications.”

James smiles, "True indeed. That is why we will be using this,” He holds up an odd looking device, "This a breathing apparatus that will make it possible to breath underwater ...in theory." He hands out one to everyone at the table. 

Raven frowns and holds hers up, inspecting the small, black circular device. 

"They are all designed to fit within the space where your air filters usually are in your masks,” James tells them, “Instead of filtering dirty air, these will filter the air from water.”

Raven raises an eyebrow at the scientist, “You said, 'in theory.' What does that mean?"

James scratches his neck nervously, "They aren't exactly… tested."

“And you expect us to use them?!” Martin explodes from the chair next to Raven. He isn't too fond of water, and he has also been a guinea pig for James one too many times.

Micheal quiets him with a look, then addresses the others, ”This was all short of notice. Yes, they haven’t been tested yet, but James has been working on them for months. I am certain they will work,” He says confidently, ”Also, we cannot bring many weapons with us because of the water and spatial issues. So once in the building the larger of your birds will bring your gadgets.”

Micheal may trust James’s ability…but the look on the scientist's face is making Raven nervous. 

“I-I have also upgraded the night-vision contacts,” James informs them.

"Well, I hope those work. Because last time a member of our team was almost blinded because of them,” Ben reminds everyone.

“My modifications should have fixed the problem with the changes in light,” James assures as he fiddles with his glasses. He glances at Raven, ”Oh, and Raven. I think I have fixed the incindo glove, though I doubt you will need it on this mission.”

She nods, then asks, ”What did you find out about those tracker bullets that I brought you awhile back?”

He sighs, “Sadly, not much. However, I am currently working on stronger combat suits to lessen bullet wounds, but it is a work in progress. So I suggest you just avoid getting shot.”

“Yeah, cause it's that easy,” Jensen snorts.

“In three days time, you will head out,” Micheal informs them, ”You should have maybe five hours to get this done. There can be no screw ups; this is bigger than anything we have tackled thus far. This doesn’t just involve Ucaidia, the entire world is at stake if we don’t stop this bomb from being constructed.”

“Wow. Didn’t think we would ever be saviors of the world,” Raven snorts and rests her chin on her hand.

“Quiet, Raven!” Her brother barks.

She crosses her arms and sulks in her seat. 

“You are all dismissed,” Micheal says as he stands up straight, “Get some rest, and be ready to leave when I say so.”

The assassins all salute their leader before leaving, but Ben stays behind to go over some details with Micheal.

“You will focus your energy on making sure James gets in and out of there alive, am I understood?” Micheal questions.

“Yes, sir,” Ben answers.

Micheal nods, ”Good. And keep an ear on my sister. I don't want her doing anything reckless.”

“You should give her more credit,” Ben tells him, “She is a great assassin.”

“I know that. She is great at what she does, but she makes stupid mistakes still,” Micheal shakes his head in frustration, “It’s like she doesn't think sometimes. I almost feel like she does it on purpose to anger me.”

“You are siblings,” Ben reminds him, “You are meant to annoy each other. It is your job to look after her.”

“I just wish she would see it that way,” Micheal murmurs and looks down. He sighs and shakes his head a little, “We didn't need this now. We are far from ready to take on the Premier, but this is only hindering us more. We have CRC officials to take down, we need to get the citizens on our side- fuck, we still do not know the location of the Premier!” He slams his hands down on the table in frustration.

Ben watches him silently. Everyone in Sao is feeling the tension. Their goal feels further and further away at times, but they need to push through the pessimistic voices and continue on.

“We will find him,” Ben assures his leader, “I think everything will fall into place when we need it to. All we can do now is take everyday one step at a time. We cannot see the future so there is no point worrying about it.”

That seems to make Micheal feel better. He stands straight and gives Ben a ghost of a smile, “Your right,” He gives his shoulder a squeeze as he walks past him, “I will be in my office.”

That is the closest he will come to thanking him, Ben assumes. He leaves the room as well and decides to go find Raven. After asking a few people he is aimed toward the training room. He finds his friend working off her frustration on the punching bag in the corner of the room. There are a few others training, but they are on the other side of the room.

“He cares for you,” Ben comments as he leans against the wall behind his green eyed friend.

Raven huffs a laugh as she slams her fist into the punching bag, “Of course he does.”

Ben sighs, ”He just wants you to be the best that you can be. No one else would call you out on your mistakes.”

“I can do that on my own. He micromanages too much.”

“He is the leader of this team,” Ben reminds her, “You have made it very clear that you do not wish to lead.”

Raven slams a punch into the bag, “Why does he constantly bring it up then?”

Ben shrugs, “Well, I think he wants to know that you will be able to lead if anything happens to him. You are the only person he truly trusts here.”

Raven rolls her eyes, “He will be very disappointed then, because I refuse to lead this team. Can we talk about something else now?” She pleads and turns to him.

Ben sighs, “Alright. What do you wish to talk about, then?”

Raven raises her fists in challenge, ”Fancy a fight?”

Ben gives her an unamused look but then decides to humor her. He cracks his neck and raises his fists, “I won't go easy on you.”

“I would be offended if you did.” She answers with a smile.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10:

Tom lets out a sigh as he walks into work. Nodding to the guard as he walks through security, he then enters the elevator. Once at his floor he quickly walks into his office and shuts the door behind him. 

Falling into his chair with another heavy sigh, he lets his gaze wander over to Zoey’s empty desk. He clenches his hands into fists and averts his eyes. 

He still cannot believe that she was playing him the entire time, that she is part of Sao, an assassin. He is angry at her, but he is also sad. He truly thought of her as a friend. 

He shakes his head and begins his work. He shouldn’t dwell on her. She is just a murderer, ruining the Premier’s name and shouting nonsense about... 

Tom stares at his computer screen blankly as the memories of two days ago flood his mind. He remembers talking to Zoey and then the next second he was waking up in the CRC’s infirmary room. He was told that she shot him with a tranquilizer dart of some kind, completely harmless but it still gave him a killer headache for the next day and a half. He was questioned about the events of that night by multiple enforcers. It looked rather suspicious with him being the only survivor, but they let it go after realizing he is not a CRC official nor did he claim to know about the project they were working on. A white lie. He did in fact know, but he didn't want any part of it, so he thought it best to plead ignorance.

A nuclear bomb? Is it possible that the Premier could really be planning this? Rockwell had confirmed it, but Tom still finds it all so hard to believe. The things Zoey told him… The poor being treated like animals, the enforcers killing people for no good reason… It all sounds insane to him. …But he has never left the affluent district. His uncle has shielded him from everything ever since his parents died when he was eight years of age.

With a groan, Tom stands and walks out of his office. He needs answers and his uncle will be the one to have them.

~

 

Tom enters the elevator and taps his foot impatiently. He looks down at his phone and frowns at the time. He lets out a sigh and crosses his arms. He had been trying to get ahold of his uncle for the better half of the day, but sadly he had still not been able to speak with the man. His uncle’s job has him moving a lot which makes it difficult for Tom to contact him. The CRC don't use normal phones to contact each other since it would be all too easy for someone tap into their calls, so they use special devices which are located in specific areas of each building that connect directly to other CRC properties. 

So Tom had to sit in a chair for hours while they called around to the other CRC buildings. They couldn't get in contact with him, however, so Tom decided he would just try again tomorrow.

“What a waste of time,” He grumbles and closes his eyes. He leans his head back against the elevator wall with a sigh. 

He knew this option would probably lead nowhere, but he thought he should at least give it a try. He hadn’t spoke to his uncle in almost two years, but it isn’t that he hadn’t tried. That man is damn near impossible to get ahold of these days.

“Plan B, then,” Tom opens his eyes as the elevator comes to a stop on the ground floor. He straightens his back and walks out confidently. 

“L-Leaving so early, Sir?” The receptionist looks confused. 

Tom gives her a weak smile, “I do not feel very well today,” He lies, “I believe the recent events still have me weakened. I should not have came back to work so fast.”

The woman nods understandingly, “Of course, Sir. Do you want me to contact a doctor for you?”

Tom shakes his head, “No, thank you. I will just try to get some rest. Please let, Paul, know that I am leaving early.”

“Yes, Sir.”

Tom heads for the exit, pausing to pass through security first. He feels bad for lying, this is all very illegal and should anyone find out Tom would be in a decent amount of trouble. But he needs to know if what Zoey said is true, and the only way he can do that is to go see for himself. 

This rebellious behavior is rather invigorating. Tom finds himself both on edge and excited-

“And where are you off to so early in the day?” A familiar voice rings out, causing a chill to run up Tom’s spine. 

Gulping, Tom pauses before the chip scanner and turns to greet the man he was hoping to avoid most. “Hello, Jack. I am feeling rather under the weather today. My doctor told me to take three days off work, but I refused to listen. My fault, really,” Tom tries to keep his voice steady as he lies to the head of security. 

Jack’s steel eyes study the man suspiciously, “...I see,” He strolls closer and leans against the scanner with his arms crossed, “Shame about that assistant of yours. She is still missing, yes?”

Tom gulps, refusing to let the blonde man get to him, “Yes. She was a great assistant, but I will find another just as good,” He glances to the glass doors of the building, “I will be on my way then. Have a good day.”

Jack watches him pass through the scanner with that cocky smirk of his, “Get some rest, Thomas.”

Tom grits his teeth as he exits the building. That man has been a thorn in his side for decades. Having known him since he was just a child, Tom knows how cruel the man can be. Jack and him have had a feud for as long as he can remember. 

Breathing in the chilly afternoon air, Tom strides past the guarded checkpoint and makes his way to the main street to find a car. 

White and blue cars fill the streets, with pedestrians lining the sidewalks. It is rather crowded seeing as it is close to lunch and shopping time. 

Tom walks to the edge of the sidewalk where a small, blue lit up square sits. A moment later a white car is pulling up in front of him. The door opens by itself and Tom enters. 

‘Hello,’ A female voice greets him through the speakers, ‘What is your destination?’ 

Tom leans back in the roomy seat, “Train station to the middle-class district.”

‘Yes, Sir.’ The car pulls away from the curve and drives toward its destination. 

Self-driving cars have taken the place of drivers for the last decade or so. They have lessened accidents and have created a much more efficient way of transportation. Each car is designed with a color-changing surface. White means the car is unoccupied, and blue means that it is occupied. 

Tom sags into his seat and tries to relax his racing heart. He can’t believe he is actually doing this. He could get into a lot of trouble if he is found sneaking into the lower-class district. Their suspicions of him would grow even more since that night of the meeting. 

He doesn’t even have a plan. Tom realizes this as he is coming to a stop in front of the train station. 

‘Please scan your chip,’ The car tells him. 

Tom raises his left arm and lets the car scan the chip in his arm. 

The door of the car opens for him, ‘Thank you. Have a good day, Sir.’

Tom exits the car and stands in front of the building nervously. Taking a deep breath, he walks into the building and waits for a plan of some kind to come to him. 

The building is fairly small since there aren’t many who travel by train daily. The only people here at the moment are a couple of bored looking enforcers standing at the security checkpoints. Going by train seemed like a good idea at the time, but now Tom realizes how odd it will look for someone like him to be using the train to enter the poor district. He may be able to get into the middle-class, but he highly doubts he would be let through to the other district without a few questions. The last thing he wants is to raise any suspicions for himself. 

“-cargo from sector 5 is coming in soon. We should head for the loading platform,” Tom hears two workers conversing nearby.

That could work, Tom thinks and he begins to follow the men. Tailing them down a dark corridor, Tom is led outside to a covered platform near the back of the train station. He quickly hides behind some large, white crates and waits silently, hoping he isn’t found. A dozen or so workers are milling about, presumably waiting for the incoming cargo. Tom notices maybe four enforcers acting as security, which is less than he thought there would be.

In the distance, a train is spotted speeding toward the station. Slowing quickly, it stops at the loading platform and the workers get busy. They begin retrieving crates and boxes of all sizes from the freight cars and hand them off to other workers to load into trucks. This process last around thirty minutes before Tom notices the amount of crates leaving the train begin to lessen.

“Alright, almost done here,” One worker announces, “Two crates left and then we need to gas her up and she will be off to the poor district.”

Perfect, Tom thinks happily. This train will take him right where he needs to go. He watches the men begin to leave the platform, spotting a few by the head of the train to fuel it up. This is his only chance. With a gulp, Tom races out from his spot and dives into one of the train cars.

The door closes only moments behind him and he is shrouded in darkness. Quickly rummaging in his pocket for his phone, he finds it and uses the light to see around himself. A couple crates with wheels on the bottoms fill the decently sized car. Tom walks to one with a frown, unsure if they had forgotten these on accident or not. Tentatively reaching out, he places his hand on the smooth white surface. The crates lid slides open and Tom sees a large amount of drab looking clothing from within.

“For the lower-class,” Tom mutters as he picks up a neatly folded, grey jacket. He studies it a moment before setting his phone down briefly to put on the coat. It is large enough to cover his suit jacket and tie, a useful disguise for when he enter the indigent district. 

The clothing given to the poor is nothing more than basic grey pieces of clothing. The options are slim and the quality is iffy, much different to what Tom normally dons himself in.

Closing the crate, Tom takes a seat on the floor and tries to make himself comfortable for the ride. He is unsure how long it will take him to get there, but he knows these trains can manage speeds of 700 mph so he can't imagine it will take long.

What will it be like there? He wonders. Is Zoey right? Are the conditions are terrible as she described, or has he gone on a fools errand?

He doesn't have to wait very long. The train ride only lasts around ten minutes before he feels it start to slow down. Quickly clambering behind a crate, Tom holds his breath and waits.

The door slides open and workers begin to file in. Tom peeks his head around the corner of the crate and looks around for his way out. He instead finds a worrying number of enforcers stationed just outside of the train. Pressing his back flat against the back wall of the train car, Tom curses silently and tries to figure a way out of this.

Soon all the crates except for the one Tom is hiding behind have been taken out. As the other workers leave to remove the cargo in the other train cars, one spots his lone crate. “Hey! Take care of this one,” The man orders a young worker before leaving the car.

The worker who approaches the crate is but a mere boy, barely fourteen. The boy sighs and wipes the sweat from his brow before approaching the crate that hides Tom. 

Unable to hide or do anything, Tom keeps his position as the crate is moved and he is spotted instantly by the boy.

The boy’s eyes widen and he jumps back startled. Tom feels his heart about to burst out of his chest and he says the first thing that comes to mind. “Do not let them find me!” He quickly whispers.

It takes the boy a moment to break from his shock. He quickly glances behind himself and looks to see if anyone has noticed the stowaway. Letting out a sigh of relief, the boy turns back to Tom and gestures to the crate, “Get in. Hurry!” He urges.

Tom quickly does as he says and buries himself into the crate filled with more clothing. The boy shuts the lid and begins to move it from the train. Trying to remain calm, the boy pushes the heavy crate down the loading platform. He steers it into the train station and quickly dives into an empty storage room when no one is looking.

“Why were you in there?” The boy questions as he opens the crate.

Tom tentatively raises his head out and surveys his surroundings. Finding it safe, he gets out of the crate and leans against a wall trying to control his breathing. “I-I wanted to see what this district is like.” He finally gets a good look at the boy and is surprised to see how young he is. His pale face is marked by dirt and other stains, but Tom can see a layer of freckles beneath all of the muck.

The freckled boy studies the tall man as well, “…You are from the upper-class district,” He guesses. Tom may be wearing a coat of this district, but his hair is too clean, too perfectly styled. His pants are of a nicer fabric as well.

Tom nods and holds out his hand, “I am Tom. Thank you, by the way. For not telling them about me.”

The boy takes his hand and shakes it, “I am Garret, Sir. And I knew they would kill you if they found you,” He says matter a factly.

Tom frowns at that, “…I came because I was told the conditions you live in are cruel, is this true?”

Garret lowers his head, “It is. They do awful things to those who disobey or mess something up.”

“Can you show me?” Tom knows he is taking a risk in trusting this child, but he didn't come all the way here to get lost.

The boy looks unsure, “I-I have to get back to work. They will beat me if they notice I am gone for too long.”

Tom’s eyes widen, “I do not wish for you to get in trouble because of me. I will find my own way-“

“My brother may be able to help you,” Garret interrupts, “He transports things around the district for people. He could show you around. He is usually around this area at this time of day.”

Tom brightens up, “Thank you! How will I find him?”

“His name is Warren. He is very tall and loud, you should not be able to miss him,” Garret tells Tom. He scratches his left cheek, “He is trustworthy. Just tell him that you are a friend of mine and he should help you out.”

Tom nods and thanks the boy once more before slipping out of the room. Merging with a group of workers as they walk past, Tom follows them before breaking off to the front entrance of the station. However, he isn't ready for the sight that awaits him outside.

Broken windows, dirty streets, and …corpses. At least five dead bodies lie on this street, and Tom guesses that more fill the other parts of the district. The sight of two frail looking teenagers putting these bodies into bags is enough to churn the contents of Tom’s stomach. He keeps himself from vomiting somehow and stumbles out of the open to an alley beside the train station. He looks back to the horrid scene and sees an enforcer standing near the kids, ordering them to hurry.

Turning away, Tom runs his hands over his face and takes a few deep breaths before willing himself to move. He needs to find Warren. 

Continuing down the alley, Tom soon finds himself walking down another street which is bustling with life. …If you can really call it that. The street is silent, save for the sound of heavy machinery and some laughter. Several people are silently cleaning up the street, and further down is the entrance to some kind of factory. More enforcers are there but they are grouped together and seem to be chatting and laughing amongst themselves rather than watching over the workers. Tom uses their inattention to his advantage and slips in with the throng of people working.

“Do you know Warren?” Tom questions a sickly looking man.

The man shakes his head and continues on working, seeming rather scared to talk. Tom moves further down the street, asking for the whereabouts of this man but all he is met with is terrified glances and quick, silent shakes of the head. A voice then echoes out over the noise of the factory and the chattering of the enforcers.

“Delivery for Jenkins!” A tall, broad man calls out in a deep voice. His skin is rather pale, and a scatter of freckles adorn his nose and cheeks. This man has to be Warren.

One of the enforcers waves the man over, “Bring it here.”

Warren strides down the street and hands a small package to the man with his head bowed, before turning on his heel and making his way back up the street. Tom quickly picks up his pace and follows the man. As they turn the corner, Tom calls out to him.

“Warren?”

The broad man turns at the sound of his name and finds himself eye level with the equally tall, but lean man. “Yes?” He asks warily. He instantly notices that Tom is different.

“I met you brother, Garret,” Tom tells him as he watches his surroundings carefully, “He said you could help me.”

Warren gives Tom another once over before nodding, “Follow me.” He turns and with a rather fast pace, leads Tom down a maze of streets and alleyways.

Avoiding enforcers when they can, Warren is soon waving Tom inside a dilapidated building. Warren leads him up to the second floor where he sits down on an old recliner and finally relaxes a bit. “We should be safe to talk here.”

Tom takes a seat across from the man and takes a glance around the room. It’s small. Barely the size of his office at work. Seems to be a bedroom/living room in one. Faded wallpaper peels from the walls, and he notices that a few of the wooden floorboards have been completely rotted through.

“You aren't from around here, are you?” Warren prods.

Tom clears his throat and returns his attention to the man before him, “No, I am not. I am from the affluent district.”

Warren becomes a bit more on edge, “And why have you come here? How do you know my younger brother? Is he okay?”

Tom nods, “He is fine. He helped me actually,” Look down at his hands, “…My reason is rather foolish, and you may not believe me, but it is the truth. I came to see if this district was as bad as I had been told.”

Warren narrows his eyes, “And what have you been told?”

Tom raises his eyes and they are glassy, “That you are treated like animals- worse than animals. That people are… suffering and getting killed for unjustified reasons,” He gulps, “That I have seen.”

Warren’s expression softens a little, “…It is all true. Our district is overpopulated, many die each day and the enforcers care little for us. These days… they don't even bother with reasons to kill us,” Warren averts his eyes to a dirty, broken window, “We are underfed, sick, and many are homeless.”

Tom watches the man with sad eyes, “I stowed away on a cargo train to get here. Your brother helped hide me from the enforcers. Told me that you might help show me, explain to me what the hell is going on here.”

Warren studies the man for a moment. He is unsure if he should trust someone from the affluent district, but then again, what could this hurt? An enforcer might kill him tomorrow for no reason, at least this would give him one.

Nodding, Warren stands, “I will show you the district. I don't know what good it will do you, but if your curiosity needs to be sated I will oblige.”

Tom smiles and thanks the man before standing and following him back to the horrors outside. 

~

Tom stands atop a roof’s ledge and gazes out into the poor district with saddened eyes. “…I had no idea. H-How could this have happened?”

Warren had brought them up onto one of the taller buildings to look over the district better. The sight is just appalling. Small houses built close to one another; dirty streets filled with rats, garbage, and the dead; and enforcers on every street. 

“I heard every sector is like this,” Warren says as he rests his arms on the railing in front of him, “The West and South wards have it a lot worse because the poor are kept close to the wall, but we have crowded districts and not enough food to go around. …I guess that is better than dealing with the radiation.”

Tom looks to him sharply, “Radiation?”

Warren frowns at him, “Don’t you know about the nuke that hit- seventy something years ago?”

“Of course, but a wall was put up to protect the people near there, right?”

“The radiation extends for miles from where the bomb hit, and the wall doesn't extend that far,” Warren tells him, “In the West ward, sectors 2 and 3 are barely inhabitable. Over half of the poor districts in sectors 4, 8, 1 are within the radiation zone. Sectors 4 and 6 in the South ward are in the zone as well. I hear that the people there are diseased ridden and deformed due to the amount of radiation,” He shakes his head sadly, “It is no way to live, but they have no choice. The enforcers will kill any one of them that tries to enter the other districts, same goes for all the poor districts in the country.”

Tom returns his gaze to the dark streets, lit by few streetlights. It is so much darker here than it is in the affluent district. The constant dark skies and few lights make it all the more ominous.

“Do you blame the Premier as well?” Tom asks.

Warren glances at him and then back to the streets, “I can't blame one man. But, yes, I do blame men like him. Those in power, the CRC, the Premier. They have all had a hand in this.”

With one last look at the district, Tom turns away, “I am ready to head back.”

Warren nods and leads him to the stairwell, “There is a train leaving for your district soon. Hopefully we can make it in time.”

The freckled man leads Tom out onto the streets and back toward the train station. Tom lags a step behind, gazing at his surroundings with sorrow-filled eyes. He is beginning to wish he had stayed home. Stayed blissfully ignorant to all of this. But he knows he couldn’t. His curiosity would have always won, but now what will he do with this newfound knowledge? 

“Thank you for doing this,” Tom thanks the man, “Many are not as kind as you.” It is true. Tom feels very much an outcast in his own district. Ostracized by his own coworkers. The only other person he has found to be this content around was Zoey.

Warren glances back and gives him a quick smile, “Your welcome. I can't say I’m not surprised by your kind disposition either.”

Shouting from the next street grabs their attention. Warren and Tom jog over to see what the commotion is about, and find a man standing above a dead enforcer.

The man is dressed is ragged clothing with a poorly stitched together mask covering his face. He is waving around a gun and shouting at a bunch of scared workers.

“You must fight!” The man roars, “No longer will we be kept in these conditions! Join us and-“ The man is cut off by numerous gunshots from a group of enforcers just arriving.

Warren quickly steers Tom away from the scene and continues toward the train station.

“Who was he?” Tom questions.

Warren glances back at him as he answers, “A member of that blasted rebel group, Sao. A menace to all of us. All they accomplish is bringing in more enforcers to the district,” He shakes his head with a grunt.

Tom frowns, “I have seen what members of Sao look like. There is no way he was one of them.”

Warren shrugs, “Most likely posing as the group then. There have been many groups of people that have tried to start a rebellion, but they aren't even close to achieving such a thing. They mostly live underground in the sewers, away from the enforcers. I have heard that they sell things on a black market down there.”

That doesn't sit well with Tom. These districts are basically crumbling from within. What if others gain the power to do what Sao does? They would have an entire civil war on their hands.

“It looks like we are just in time,” Warren whispers as they hide behind a crate on the loading platform at the train station. 

The cargo train heading to Tom’s district is almost done being loaded. All he needs to do now is get on somehow. However, the amount of security is just as much as there was before. It would be impossible to run on, and Garret is nowhere to be seen.

“What now?” Tom questions.

Warren shakes his head, “I don't-“

Gunshots within the station cut him off at mid-sentence. Another rebel is causing some trouble.

“Perfect timing, “ Warren mutters as most of the enforcers guarding the train run inside of the station. “Go!” He prompts Tom, “Go while they are all distracted!”

With a deep breath, Tom runs out of cover and slips into a train car before anyone can take notice. He quickly hides behind some crates and waits anxiously. After around twenty minutes the enforcers all resume their positions and finish loading the train before sending it on its way.

Leaning his head back on the cool metal, Tom closes his eyes and reflects on the last few hours. What he saw today will forever change the way he looks at the world. He is unsure what will happen now, but he knows one thing for sure. He won’t be the same man he was before.


	11. Ch. 11:

Chapter 11:

“Are you ready?” Ben asks as he pops his head into Raven’s room. 

She nods and lifts her bird from her perch, “Just getting Vex ready.”

She joins Ben in the hall and they walk to the entrance of the base together. 

“The others have left already. We will meet them at the train station,” Ben informs her. 

She nods, “Best not to keep them waiting then.”

The day of their mission has finally come after days of anxious waiting. Raven stills thinks this is a mistake. They should have waited longer to assess the situation better, but her brother is the boss and what he says goes.

The two assassins quickly make their way through through the poor district and pass into the middle-class where the train station lies. They meet with the others and they are soon hopping aboard the hyper-train to the East ward.

Sector 6 in the East ward is all the way on the other side of Ucaidia, it takes around three hours by train which gives the assassins plenty of time to ready themselves for this important mission.

“This area is so much nicer looking,” James notes as he stares outside the window of the fast moving train. They have just reached the East ward.

“This area was left relatively untouched by the nuclear blast,” Johnny mutters.

Raven nods as she strokes Vex’s feathers, “They had minimal damage, but this area is also a lot more populated. Everyone flocked to the Northeast when the shit hit the fan. The population has only grown since.”

“I wouldn't wish this upon anyone,” Jared murmurs from his spot by another window, “If the Premier launches that nuke at one of the other countries it will be even worse than this.”

“We will stop him then,” Ben says simply.

Silence falls over the train car. Raven watches as Vex joins the other birds on a couple of crates. Talon is here, as well as Crest; Martin’s eagle. They are the biggest birds on this team, so they will be carrying the assassins equipment to them once they are in the building. They will be waiting on the roof of the factory for them.

As the train comes to a halt, the assassins sneak on and make their way to the inlet where the pipe should be located.

Raven scans the dark area as they come to a stop at the bank of the water. Looking over the expanse of water, she spots the large pipe under a foot of the murky sea leading down into the depths of the water. James says the pipe will level out after a few meters and continue north toward the factory.

“It will take about half an hour to make it to the factory,” Johnny tells the assassins, ”The current within the pipe is fairly fast so be sure to not miss your exit point. If you miss it you will be swept further down the pipe until it spits you out into the Walton river.” 

“There will be a large opening overhead of your exit point, with a red ladder next to it,” James adds, “Grab ahold of the ladder and climb it to exit the pipe.”

“We will meet in the space above, then make our way to the roof where our birds will make the drop-off,” Johnny informs them, ”After that, we will search for the bomb. Once it is located, Raven’s team will branch out to the surrounding area to keep watch for enforcers and staff.”

Everyone nods.

“Let’s go then.”

Fitting the breathing apparatus within their masks, Raven’s team is the first to plunge into the water. Jensen leads, with Jared and Raven following.

Swimming over to the pipe, Raven dunks under the water and dives down through the pipe. Instinctively holding her breath until she realizes that the apparatus does indeed work. 

The current takes hold of Raven quickly and pulls her through the pipe head first like a speeding torpedo. The walls of the pipe are uncomfortably close to her which makes her mild claustrophobia spike. This pipe is a lot smaller than James made it out to be. She wills herself to control her breathing and relaxes the best that she can while the current pulls her. But as the pipe curves she feels herself skim the side and her blood pressure starts to spike again.

Luckily, time within the pipe seems to pass rather quickly. Jensen is already nearing the ladder.

’Current is strong,’ Jensen alerts the others through their earpieces, ‘Ladder is coming up fast.’

Raven gulps and looks ahead of herself, but she can't see anything in the dark, murky water. All she can do is hope she spots the ladder in time.

Not even a minute later, she sees something red approaching her fast. Raven realizes that this must be the ladder. Reaching out her right arm, she grabs ahold of the metal ladder and feels her arm almost dislocate as the current continues to pull her body. Gritting her teeth, Raven manages to grab the ladder with her other hand and pulls her body to it.

Looking up, she sees Jensen and Jared moving up the ladder to the lit area above them. Raven climbs up a few rungs and decides to wait for the others.

Johnny, and James are soon climbing up past Raven while she waits for the two remaining members; Ben and Martin.

A few minutes go by and no one shows. Raven frowns beneath her mask, starting to feel anxious. ‘Ben? Martin?’ She calls.

Johnny descends down the ladder to her, ’Where are they?’ 

She shakes her head, ’I don’t know. They were right behind you, right?’

Johnny nods, ‘I thought so- Wait, look!’

Raven turns quickly and looks down the pipe. She spots a figure quickly moving toward them. As the figure gets closer they do not reach out for the ladder, however. The figure passes quickly by the ladder, but they do not disappear down the pipe as expected. Instead, the figure is impaled onto a large metal object blocking the path of the other side of the pipe. 

Raven’s eyes widen in horror and blood clouds the surrounding water before being swept away. Upon closer inspection, she recognizes the figure to be Martin.

No one had anticipated a blockage in the pipe. James had scouted it earlier with a drone and found it clear.

Turning her gaze away from Martin, Raven frantically tries to spot Ben down the pipe. 

Ben squirms and twists as the current pulls him faster. He chokes as water pours down his throat.

Raven’s eyes widen when she realizes Ben is going to miss the ladder too. Her body reacts before her brain does. She drops further down the ladder and reaches out as Ben flies past. Gripping his hood, she feels pain erupt in her arm as it is pulled from its socket. Raven feels her grip on the ladder begin to slip as the current pulls on Ben and her.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Raven waits for the pain. 

Feeling something wrap around her waist, Raven’s eyes snap open and she looks behind her in shock. Johnny had grabbed onto her just in the nick of time, and with Jared’s help they are able to pull the two assassins out of the current and up the ladder.

Flopping onto the ground, Raven holds her arm and tries to relax her breathing. Drowning was something she never thought would happen to her. That was too close for comfort.

Next, to her, they lay Ben and begin CPR on him. His mask was unlatched when they brought him up and he wasn’t breathing. 

Johnny kneels next to his sister and feels around her shoulder, “You dislocated your arm,” he grunts. Grabbing her forearm he quickly pops it back into place.

“Ah!” Raven hisses in pain.

The sound of coughing gains Raven’s attention. She turns and sees Ben spitting out some water and taking deep breaths of air. Helping him sit up, she rubs his back and checks him over for any wounds.

“What happened back there?” Johnny demands.

Ben shakes his head and says in a weak voice, ”Martin skimmed the side of the pipe and his mask was ripped off. He flailed out and knocked mine loose as well.”

“Where is he now?” Jensen asks with a frown. James and him were up here the entire time, so they didn't see what had happened.

“Dead,” Raven mutters, ”He was impaled near us on a metal object.”

“He was most likely dead before he hit that,” Ben says sadly, ”I am lucky he knocked my mask off when we were further down the pipe.”

They are all silent for a moment before Johnny stands. “We can mourn his loss later. We have to finish this mission.”

Soon they are walking through the barely used sub-levels where they find a service elevator. Opening the hatch in the roof of the elevator, they climb their way up into the dark elevator shaft and use the cables to climb their way to the roof.

“How are you doing?” Raven whispers to Ben as they climb.

He looks more out of breath than he usually would. “Fine,” He answers none too convincingly. 

Raven frowns but doesn't persist. They have a mission to focus on.

They reach the top floor within minutes since the factory isn't nearly as tall as a normal CRC building. Three floors and a basement make up the building.

‘All clear,’ Johnny signs to his team as he peaks through the crack where the elevator doors close. He turns to the others, ’Raven and I will retrieve our gear. You three stay here and protect James.’

Sign language is known by everyone within Sao. It is perfect for missions when they need to be silent. Their earpieces are also designed with a simple coding system for short answers when talking cannot be done. 

Ben nods, ‘Affirmative.’  
Raven follows Johnny out into the hall and they sneak up a set of stairs leading to the roof. Johnny props the door open while Raven walks out onto the roof and lets out a loud whistle.

Moments later, Vex, Talon, and Crest burst through the cloud bank and swoop down to greet her.

“Hey, girl,” Raven whispers as she starts unhooking the bag strapped to Vex’ body. She grabs the bag dropped from the large condor’s feet, and then moves over to grab the gear attached to the Eagle. Raven looks at the bird sadly and strokes his feathers, “… Martin- H-He didn't make it.”

Crest holds her gaze for a moment before flying away. Raven watches him go with a sigh. 

These birds are genetically made to be smarter, their bond with the assassin they choose is more than that of a pet’s. They have a connection with the assassin and it lasts a lifetime… or as long as the assassin can stay alive.

At Sao’s base, they still care for the birds whose master’s have fallen, but it is unneeded since the birds usually disappear in a weeks time.

Raven sends the remaining birds back to the base and leaves with Johnny to join back with the others in the elevator shaft.

“Ben and I will go with James as planned,” Johnny tells the others in a soft voice. His mask helping dampen his voice. “Raven, Jared, and Jensen; you all will keep the enforcers from coming near us. We stick to the plan we made.”

Raven nods as she hands out the gear to everyone, “Jensen and I will scout around you three. Jared I need you to take hold of the surveillance room,” She tells him, “The tech in our suits will scramble the camera footage, but they will catch on soon enough. You need to take command of that room quickly.”

Jared nods, “Got it.”

”Once we are done, we escape through any means possible. You know the drill,” Johnny reminds them, “Find your own way out. You get lost, then you meet us back at the base.”

They all nod.

“Let’s get going then.”


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12:

Returning back to his daily life has been difficult for Tom. With what he has witnessed in the poor district... seeing all the luxuries he has in his own district makes him sick to the stomach. Everyone here is so blissfully ignorant to the people dying within their own sector. Tom finds himself hating those around him, even cursing at himself for his own ignorance. 

Walking into work, the very place which causes the poor the most troubles, makes him want to scream and quit immediately. ...But he can’t. That isn’t the way things work here. All he can do is keep his head down and do as he is told. 

It’s a few days after his little adventure. Despite his conflicted mind, Tom has managed to get quite a bit of work done today. It is now late into the night and he is packing up to finally head home. 

He is wishing he could take tomorrow off since he knows he is going to be very sleep deprived. Ever since traveling to the poor district he has been plagued with nightmares. He hasn’t gotten a decent nights sleep since. Maybe he will be able to convince Paul to let him work from home that day. He is fairly close with Paul Tidens, closer than most that he works with. Paul is now the new CEO of the building, surely he will give Tom this break.

Just as Tom is exiting his office, he feels his phone vibrate. With a sigh, he pulls the device from his pocket and answers it as walks down the dim, empty halls, “Hello?”

‘Mr. Hiddleston?’

“Yes?”

‘I am sorry to bother you so late, but we see that you have not checked out of the building yet-‘

“Yes,” Tom sighs as he enters the elevator, “Hurry, I am on my way out. What is it that you need?”

‘I am with security at the CRC weapon’s facility in sector 6. We are having some difficulties with our security cameras. Could you come take a look?’

Tom frowns and leans against the elevator wall, “What is wrong with them?”

‘Honestly, we do not know. Some of the footage is blurry and cutting out all together. We do not have any tech personnel here at the moment.’

Suppressing another sigh, Tom nods, “Alright. I will be there soon.” He ends the call and closes his eyes. This day never seems to end.

~

“What is Jared doing?” Raven hisses as she hides the body of a dead enforcer inside a closet.

Jensen shakes his head as he helps her, “I have no idea. He should have found the surveillance room by now.”

The two assassins have silently been taking out any enforcer that has crossed their path for the last thirty minutes. Jared should have contacted them by now, but they haven't heard a thing from him. 

'We have located the bomb,' Johnny relays to Raven and Jensen.

“We are still waiting on Jared to take hold of the surveillance room,” Raven tells him.

‘Dammit. We need that room. You two, go find out what has happened,’ Johnny orders.

“Affirmative,” Raven responds quietly. She give Jensen a nod before heading toward the surveillance room.

The halls are oddly quiet in this part of the building. There should be staff or an enforcer or two, but they find no one. Something isn't right.

‘Where is everyone?’ Jensen signs.

Raven shakes her head, ‘I don't know. I don't like this,’ She peaks around a corner and sees the door to the surveillance room unguarded. ‘Let’s go.’

Raven leads the way and comes to a stop in front of the thick, steel door. She scans the area around her, looking for any signs of danger. Meanwhile, Jensen reaches out to open the door.

A faint beeping sound reaches Raven’s ears. She frowns and looks at the door before her. Narrowing her eyes, she quickly grabs Jensen’s arm to stop him from opening the door, “Wait-“

As the warning comes out of her mouth, a loud explosion from within the room blows the door off its hinges. Raven and Jensen are thrown to the floor by the blast, Landing several meters from the room. 

Raven grits her teeth as pain wells up in her back. She rolls onto her side just as two enforcers exit the surveillance room. Pulling her pistol from its holster, Raven guns them down in seconds before rising to her feet. 

Just within the room, she can see the dead body of Jared. The enforcers must have killed him and then set a trap for Raven and Jensen. Speaking of Jensen...

Raven looks around and finally spots him struggling underneath the heavy, steel door. Sprinting to him, Raven helps lift the door up enough for him to crawl out from under it. 

“They know we are here,” Raven tells him as she helps him to his feet. 

Jensen winces as he puts pressure on his left leg, “My earpiece is broken. What about yours?”

Raven walks into the surveillance room, “Johnny? Johnny, can you hear me?” She calls through her communicator. 

‘Yes. What happened? Did you find Jared?’ 

Raven looks over the broken surveillance screens and presses some buttons to get it working again but it is useless, the system is fried. “He’s dead. The enforcers know we are here,” she tells him, “Have you disabled the bomb yet?”

‘He’s getting close. I want you and Jensen to make your way back to us.’

“On it.” Raven turns around to leave the room when she hears that beeping sound again. Looking down, Raven sees a small metal orb roll near Jensen’s feet just outside of the room. It stops just behind him and makes a clicking sound then glows blue. 

Her eyes widen, “GET DOWN!” She shouts, diving away from the glowing orb.

 Half a second later the orb explodes. Raven feels her eardrums burst and a strong force throws her body into the wall of broken video screens. A burning sensation erupts on most of her back and legs, she loses consciousness momentarily.

Raven lets out a groan as she starts to come to. Pain swarms over her body as she blinks open her eyes. Coughing, she slowly pushes herself up and looks around.

Smoke fills the room from fires caused by the blast. The roof outside the surveillance room has fallen, and underneath lies Jensen. Raven knows she can do nothing for him now. Looking down at herself, she finds that her protective suit has been burned right through. Red, blistering burns cover her back, arms, and legs. 

Coughing again, Raven realizes her mask was thrown off. She looks around and finds it hiding beneath a broken desk. It is quite beat up, but it should filter some of the smoke. She retrieves her mask and slowly gets to her feet.

“J-Johnny?” She coughs, “Can anyone hear me?”

No one answers. Either they didn’t make it, or her communicator is broken. She hopes it’s the latter.

Gritting her teeth, Raven takes a painful step and leans against the wall for support. Stumbling over the fiery debris, Raven makes her way into a clear hallway. Rubbing her eyes, Raven tries to focus but finds it difficult. Her mind is foggy and all she can hear is a loud ringing. 

Jared and Jensen are dead. The enforcers know they are in the building. Raven has to get back to Johnny and the others. She knows she is in bad shape, but if she can just-

“Ah!” Raven cries out in pain and stumbles forward. Gritting her teeth, she reaches around and feels the hilt of a knife buried deep into the lower left side of her back. Gripping the handle, she then yanks it out and spins around just in time to block the attack of an enforcer.

The man is huge! Easily a foot taller than herself. Dressed in the blue armored uniform all enforcers wear, he swings his electrified dagger at her head, but she deflects the blow with her own knife and sparks erupt between them.

Stumbling back to avoid the arching electricity, Raven ends up tripping over her own feet and lands heavily on the ground. Her wounds have greatly decreased her reflexes, and she feels her body becoming more sluggish with the passing minutes.

“Not so tough now, assassin,” The enforcer mocks. Lifting his foot, he delivers a hard stomp to Raven’s sternum.

Raven’s vision goes black for a moment as her head slams back against the concrete floor. Closing her eyes, she fights to stay awake.

“Zoey!” She faintly hears someone call.

Raven cracks open her heavy eyelids and blinks a couple times, trying to focus clearly on the face above her. 

“ZOEY!” The man says louder and shakes her shoulders. 

Frowning, Raven forces her brain to focus and finally, she is able to see clearly. Her eyes widen a fraction as she recognizes the man above her. “...Tom?”

Tom looks over her wounds worriedly, ”I need to get you out of here.” He gently picks her up and quickly makes his way down the hall.

Raven watches the man as he carries her through the halls. He is tense, his usually pristine hair and suit is all disheveled. His face is very pale, as though he is about to be sick at any moment. 

Entering an empty room, Tom lays Raven down on a desk and darts off to a closet in search of a medical kit of some kind. 

“Tom?” Raven croaks out. 

He either hadn’t heard her or chose to ignore her call because he continues his search until he finds a kit hidden away in a cabinet. He returns to her side and begins patching up her more serious wounds. 

“What happened back there?” Raven questions.

Tom stares at the burn on Raven’s arm, his hands shaking. “…I killed him,” He whispers.

Raven watches as the realization of the situation hits him. His eyes widen slightly and he drops the gauze he was holding. “I-I killed a man. I took a life-“

“Tom! Snap out of it, we don't have time for this,” Raven tells him firmly.

Tom looks at her and nods a moment later with a gulp, “Y-Yes, of course. You are hurt.” He once more begins patching up her wounds.

“…Why are you…doing this?” Raven asks softly, confusion evident in her voice.

He glances at her momentarily then goes back to work on her wounds, ”…I do not know,” he tells her honestly, ”When I saw that man attacking you-“ He gulps and takes a deep breath, “I recognized your mask, and my body reacted before I could think.”

Raven places her hand on his arm and gently squeezes, “Well, a thanks is still in order. I might not have made it if you hadn't shown up.”

Tom finishes wrapping her wounds and gives her a shot of adrenalin to give her back some energy. “Once this stuff wears off it the pain and exhaustion will hit your hard,” He warns her.

Raven nods and lets Tom help her to her feet. He looks down at her worriedly as she sways a bit. 

“I’m fine.” She assures him. 

“You need to get out of here,” He tells her. 

Raven pauses,”…I know. Tom, I know you don't want to hear this, but you need to leave too.”

He frowns, ”Why?”

“You killed a man, an enforcer. They will kill you for that,” She tells him.

The color drains from his face, “B-But I-“

“The cameras are still working. Once they get the footage of tonight they will see that you helped me. You would be killed for treason,” Raven looks at him sadly, “I am sorry to have dragged you into this.”

Tom runs his hands through his hair and he begins to pace. “M-Maybe if I just talk to them, explain myself-“

The door to the room suddenly slams open and a metal orb is thrown into the room. Too late for talking, Raven thinks as she tackles Tom over the desk just as the orb explodes near the window. 

The sound of thundering footsteps coming into the room reaches Raven’s ears. She spies the now broken window and reacts without thinking. 

Grabbing the cable from her belt, she wraps it around Tom’s waist, efficiently tying them together. She then dives out the window, dragging Tom with her. Raven ignores the man’s screams as they free-fall down three stories. 

Shooting a cable from her wrist launcher, she hooks it on the roof of the building and lets it slow their descent. Tom’s weight, however, is too much from Raven to hold and they are soon smashing into the ground. 

Tumbling on the concrete, they both groan in pain as they finally come to a stop. Raven shoves Tom off of her and proceeds to untangle the cable that surrounds them both. 

Tom coughs and holds his stomach in pain. Raven pulls herself to her feet and pulls at Tom’s arm. “Get up!” She hisses at him when she spots enforcers rushing out of the building in front of them.

Tom scrambles to his feet once he sees guns being pointed at them, and lets Raven drag him through the streets until they lose the men tailing them.

After running through the streets for about an hour, they eventually shake loose the enforcers tailing them and hide in a dark alley away from any streetlights. 

Tom has been silent for the last half hour, his mind still reeling over what happened. Meanwhile, Raven feels herself becoming weaker by the minute. Her wounds are beginning to ache again and she knows the pain will only get worse. 

Letting out a deep breath, Raven pushes off from the wall, “I need to get you somewhere safe before I return to my base.”

“No.”

Raven looks at him confused, “What do you mean, ‘no’?”

He locks eyes with her, “I am not going back.”

Raven grabs at the small of her back as it flares up with pain. She frowns at him, “What are you talking about?”

Tom shakes his head and turns away, “I stowed away on a cargo train a few days ago and went to the poor district,” He reveals to her, “I saw people dead in the streets, children working in dangerous factories, I saw everything,” He shakes his head, “It was horrible. No one should have to live like that.”

“After seeing that…” Tom takes in a deep breath, “I cannot go back and pretend everything is normal. I tried that and it was driving me insane.”

“What do you plan to do then?” Raven asks him. 

Tom gulps and turns back to her, “I-I want to join you.”

Raven looks taken aback, “Excuse me?”

He takes a step toward her with an earnest look on his face, “I want to join you,” He repeats, “I want to stop all this. I want to help people. That is what you do, is it not?”

Raven gulps, “Yes, but-“

“And you recruit people I presume?”

Raven thinks about the three men they lost today. Bringing in Tom as a new recruit would be helpful for the team, and she knows he is good with electronics. James and him would work well together. 

“What about your family and friends?” Raven questions, “Once you join Sao you can have no contact with your old life. You said you have an uncle that you are close to?”

Tom lets out a weak laugh, “I have not spoken to him in years. We were once close, but now he will not even visit me,” He shakes his head, “As for friends… you saw how I was regarded at the office. Those people never understood me, they thought it was strange the way I acted. …I now see that it was because they all knew something that I did not.”

With a deep breath, Raven nods, “Let’s get going then. People will soon be waking up for the day,” She looks toward the streets with a frown, “As for how we will get to Sao’s base… I have no idea.”

“Where is located?”

“All the way in the West ward,” Raven tells him, “It lies within sector 3, behind the wall.”

Tom’s eyes widen, “You live within the wasteland?”

Raven nods, “Our base is underground. We have radiation protected walls, as well as medicine to combat any radiation we gain outside of the base,” She runs her hands through her hair, “It’s on the other side of the country. There is no way I can get both of us there using my usual methods, and I have no way of contacting my team,” She slams his fist against the wall in anger, “Fuck!”

Tom crosses his arms and thinks of a solution. After a moment his eyes widen, “…I think I have an idea.”


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13:

“A train? Really?” Raven hisses at Tom as they hide in the shadows at the train station.

“I used a cargo train to get somewhere unnoticed before. I do not see how this will be any different,” Tom responds in a hushed voice.

Raven bites her tongue to stop the insult from coming out of her mouth and decides to just trust him on this. She is in too much pain to really argue.

The station is already filled with workers beginning their day. Enforcers are lingering around as well, but thankfully, there are very few of them.

“I heard one of the workers mention that this one is going to the West ward,” Tom whispers to the assassin as they spot a train rolling up to the loading platform, “This is our best shot.”

Raven nods and scans the area, looking for a spot to jump on without being noticed. She finds one when the train has been almost fully loaded and the workers are beginning to move inside the station.

“Go!” Raven hisses and takes off into one of the open train cars. Tom follows on her heels and enters the train just before the doors close behind him.

With a sigh of relief, Tom leans on a crate and begins to relax a little, “That went smoothly.”

“How long until we reach my sector?” Raven questions as she retrieves a light from one of her many utility pouches. She turns it on and takes a look around the car.

Tom shrugs, “I do not know. I did not hear the sector that this train is stopping at first.”

Raven freezes, “…You don't even know where we are headed?” She asks in a dark voice.

Tom feels a chill of fear run through his body at her tone. He gulps, “…No, not exactly. The man said it was headed to the West-“

Raven spins around and grips him by the collar of his suit, “Would have been nice for you to mention this earlier!” She snarls, “This train could be heading all over the West ward. What are we supposed to do, just wait and hope that it stops at my sector first?”

Tom grips her arm and stares at the small woman with wide eyes, “I-I am sorry! This was the only way I could think of to make it to the West ward.”

Raven releases him with a grunt and begins to pace the room. Tom rubs his neck as he watches her pace like a trapped lion. “…I really am sorry, Zoey,” He tells her softly.

Raven pauses mid step and turns to glare at him, “First of all, stop that shit. My name isn't Zoey.”

Tom suddenly feels very embarrassed. Of course she wouldn't use her real name when undercover. How could he be so stupid? “What is it, then?” He tentatively asks.

“Raven.”

Tom spies the mask she usually wears clipped onto her belt. Of course, he realizes. Her mask is of a raven’s beak.

“Come with me,” Raven orders as she takes off toward the other side of the train car. She opens the door connecting to the other car and proceeds to walk through three other train cars before she comes to the front of the train where the controls are.

Tom frowns as they enter the room. Control panels sit at the head console where the train is programmed a route.

“We are headed to sector 7,” Raven says as she looks over the route on the control panel. She stands up straight and turns to Tom, “Time to make some use of your tech skills. I need you to hack this train.”

Tom’s eyes widen in shock, “Excuse me?”

Raven huffs in annoyance, “This train has four stops before it makes it to the sector we need. I am not waiting that long. So, you are going to hack this train to take us to sector 4.”

Tom frowns, “I have never hacked into anything. I do not know-“

“You can do it,” Raven tells him, “I have faith in you. Give it a shot at least.”

Tom gulps and looks at the array of panels, “…Alright.”

Raven moves to sit against a wall while Tom gets to work. The pain in her back is the worst at the moment, and she can feel the knife wound starting to bleed through the gauze Tom placed. She doesn't realize that she has drifted out of conscious until Tom’s voice wakes her.

“Why are we headed to sector 4?” He questions from the control panel, “I thought your base was in sector 3?”

“Sector 3 is almost entirely part of the wasteland,” Raven responds sluggishly, “There is no working train station there.”

Tom nods, “Well, I think I have rerouted us. I could tell they were trying to take back control, but I think I won in the end. Only time will tell I suppose. We should arrive at our location in around five hours. How-“ He glances back at her and frowns, “Are you okay?”

Raven lets out a weak laugh, “Not really.”

Tom makes his way to her side and begins to check her wounds. His expression is one of worry, “You are bleeding through the bandages,” He stands, “I will go see if there are any medical kits.”

Tom is gone for about ten minutes, and Raven has started drifting to sleep again.

“Please, wake up,” Tom tells her as he crouches by her side once more, “You should not sleep in this state.” He quickly re-bandages her with the kit he found, and gives her shot that should help wit the bleeding and the pain.

“Thank you,” Raven tells him once he is finished.

He sits down beside her and smiles softly, “You are welcome.”

They sit in silence for a few minutes. Tom making sure to check on her every so often to make sure she is still awake.

“…We should probably get off the train before we dock at the station,” Raven tells him, “It will no doubt be swarming with enforcers to capture whoever commandeered their train.”

Tom nods, “I will make sure to do so, then.”

The two then settle in for a long wait. What a day this has been for the both of them.

~

“Okay, I think I will be able to manage slowing us down enough to jump off, but I cannot stop the train completely,” Tom explains from the control panel, “I would not be able to program the train to speed back up after we get off.”

Raven nods and injects herself with some adrenalin, “That should be fine.”

“We are nearing the boarder of sector 2, now, “ Tom announces, “I am going to start slowing us down. Get ready to jump.”

Raven moves to the exit door and waits for his signal before opening it. Tom checks the panel once more before joining Raven. “Alright, open the door,” He orders, “We are slow enough now.”

Raven places her hand on the glass panel and the door slides open. Trees rush by, and old houses are seen in the distance. This land is on the edge of sector 8 which is closely boarded by sectors 2, 3, and 4. It will still be a considerable walk to sector 3 and Sao’s base.

“Is this as slow as it will go?” Raven questions as she looks out at the speeding landscape worriedly.

Tom gulps, “Yes. We need to jump now.”

Raven takes a deep breath and then makes the leap before she can change her mind. Tom follows after her and they hit the hard ground, tumbling for awhile until they come to a stop. Luckily, it wasn't as bad as either of them had been expecting.

“Let’s move,” Raven says as she pulls herself off of the ground, “We have a long walk ahead of us.”

Tom lets out a groan as he gets to his feet, “Wonderful.”

The walk is long and arduous, but it gives the both of them time to reflect and think about what is to come. It is when they reach the edge of sector 3 does Tom really see the worst effects caused by the nuclear bomb and the government.

Homes and other human facilities have been overtaken by nature. Remnants of the past scattered everywhere the eye can see. The sight is heartbreaking. 

Raven leads them through the ghost town, unnerved by her surroundings since she has lived in areas such as these most of her life. 

“What is all of that?” Tom questions, staring into one of the shops.

Red and pink objects litter the floor and walls inside, old signs too dirty and decayed to read. The entire building seems to have been decorated for something.

Raven glances over, “Before the bomb, people would have celebrations on certain days. They were called, holidays, “Raven explains. She looks a little closer at the debris, “The nuke hit them near one of those days. Valentines day, I think it was.”

Tom frowns and steps inside through the broken glass doors and crouches down by what looks to have been a stuffed bear. “What did they celebrate?”

Raven shrugs, “Something about hearts, toy animals, and candy apparently, “ She shakes her head and continues down the street, while mutter, “Weird traditions.”

Tom eventually stands and follows after her. They continue walking in silence for awhile before something catches Tom’s eye.

“I-I think I just saw someone,” He tells Raven. He stares at a building across the street and soon sees movement again. He starts toward it.

“Wait-“ Raven tries to tell him but he is already walking into the building. She sighs and jogs after him, “Tom! I told you to-“ She skids to a stop just inside the building.

A woman is sitting against a wall with two young children next to her. The woman is very frail, and her skin is bruised and inflamed by her nose, mouth, and eyes. Ulcers and other blisters cover her body, as well as blood leaking from her nose and mouth. Only patches of her hair are left on her head. Her eyes are open, but they don't see. If it weren't for her chest slowly moving up and down, Raven would have thought she was dead for sure.

The children are in no better shape. Discolored and bleeding skin, as well as hair loss and misshapen, malformed heads. These children also seem to be mentally disabled.

“W-We need to help them,” Tom croaks out.

“It’s no use.”

Tom turns to Raven with wide eyes, “How can you-“

“There is nothing we can do for them,” Raven tells him softly. She looks away from the family to look in his silver eyes, “This is years of radiation poisoning, and the children were born like this because of that. The woman most likely ran here to get away from the enforcers when they tried to take her babies,“ Raven shakes her head sadly and turns her back on the scene, “Let’s go.” She leaves without waiting for Tom.

The tall man returns his gaze back to the dying family, “I am sorry,” He whispers before leaving as well.

“This is the result of men like the Premier, “ Raven tells Tom as he joins her outside, “It all started decades ago when the first Premier came to power. He formed the sectors and gave the rich everything, and gave the rest of us almost nothing,” She stares off into the distance, feeling memories of her past rising to the surface, “My brother and I were lucky enough to be born in the middle-class district, otherwise I am sure we would have died early into childhood like those we just saw. I use the word ‘lucky’ sparingly though. Our parents were killed by enforcers before we were even in our teens, and we fled to the poor district to escape the workhouses we would have been put into.”

“I-I had no idea. …I am sorry.”

“Don’t be. It happened over a decade ago. Those memories are what drive me to be what am I today,” She begins walking once more.

They soon leave the ghost town and reach a desolate land of broken down buildings which are few and far between. Few standing structures survive in this area. The large wall can be seen from here. They are getting close to the wasteland.

“How far does that wall stretch?” Tom inquirers.

“It runs down the bottom of the West ward where Sao’s base is located and continues through almost the entire west side of the Southern ward.”

That blows Tom’s mind. He had no idea the wasteland stretched across so much land.

As they get closer to the wall Tom starts to feel the vibrations of the reoccurring shockwaves slamming against the wall. 

“What on earth is that?” He questions as he stares up at the massive barrier before them.

Raven walks to a false panel on the wall and moves it aside, revealing a small path through the inside of the wall, “That is the result of nuclear warfare,” She hums. Stepping back, she glances over Tom’s appearance and then unclips her mask from her belt with a sigh. “Here,” She holds out her mask and goggles to him, “You will need these to pass safely to our base.”

He frowns, ”But, what about you?”

She shakes her head, ”I will be fine. I have made the journey without a mask before. I’m going with or without you, so don’t argue about this,” She takes off through the opening without another word.

Not wanting to be left behind, Tom quickly attaches the mask and goggles and hurries after her. Raven is waiting just within the wall for him and closes the false panel as he passes through. She then leads him out the other side and into the radioactive wasteland. 

Tom stares at his surroundings in awe, “Oh my god…”

Raven pulls him behind the barrier of metal sheets that the assassins have erected to create a safe route to their base. She points to the clouds in the distance, “Watch.” 

They wait for a few seconds and then see a flash of light illuminate from within the thick cloud bank. Raven pulls Tom down just as a loud, booming shockwave reaches them. Debris and a cloud of dirt fly past them. 

“W-what the hell?” Tom stutters with a terrified look in his eyes.

“There are about ten seconds between each wave,” Raven explains to him and she watches for the next flash of light, “We will move after the next one passes.”

“M-Move?” Tom shakes his head vigorously, “You cannot be serious. We will be ripped apart!”

Raven sends him a smirk after another shockwave hits them, “Don’t fall behind,” She tells him cheekily before darting out from the safety of the metal sheet. Tom curses and follows after her. He is quickly rethinking his decision of joining this woman.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been re-uploading re-written chapters. So you may want to go back to at least chapter 10

Chapter 14:

Tom is in awe as they enter the base. He has never seen anything like this, nor did he expect Sao’s base to be like this. However, he doesn't have much time to dwell on it because as soon as they step out of the sanitation chamber and into the main halls they are meet with guns raised at them.

“Why did you bring him here?!” Micheal growls as he points his gun at Tom, “He is working for the enemy!”

Raven moves to stand in front of Tom and tries to calm her brother down, “He saved me! You said it yourself, Tom was being left in the dark. He didn’t know any of this was happening to Ucaidia, and now that he does he wants to help stop them.”

“We can’t trust him,” Micheal says undeterred. 

Tom gulps and looks around at the group of assassins that have surrounded them. They are all glaring at him suspiciously, weapons trained on him.

Raven takes a step toward her brother, “We can’t trust anyone and yet we recruit others. What makes him so different?”

Suddenly, someone pushes through the wall of armed assassins and strides toward Raven. “Oh thank god!” Ben exclaims as he wraps his arms around the small woman, “When we lost contact with you, I thought the worst-“ His eyes widen as he notices Tom lingering behind Raven, “Y-You!”

“We recruit those who have been wronged,” Micheal answers his sister with a snarl, “He is a privileged boy who has no reason for being here,” He narrows his eyes, “You have exposed our hideout to this outsider, and we have no other choice than to kill him.”

Raven and Tom’s eyes widen in horror. “You can’t be serious!” Raven shouts, “Do you know what it took for us to get here! He saved my life on numerous occasions!”

“Micheal, can't we talk this over-“ Ben tries to help.

“He knows too much,” Micheal argues, “If we let him leave there is a chance he will tell the Premier where we are based. We cannot afford a stupid mistake such as that.”

Several of the other assassins start to move in on them. Raven stops them by aiming he pistols at them. “I won’t let you kill him!” She growls. Turning back to her brother, “We lost three members today, we could use him. Tom is also very good with electronics. He hacked the train that brought us here. I believe he could be useful to James,” She holds her brother’s gaze for a silent moment, a pleading look in her eyes, “Please, Micheal.”

Her brother looks taken aback by the amount of emotion in her eyes. Micheal fixes his gaze on the terrified man behind his sister. He doesn’t look like much of a fighter, but maybe… maybe he will be useful. “I want to hear your reasonings, not my sister’s renditions,” Micheal addresses to Tom.

Tom gulps and steps out from behind Raven, “…I have been lied to all of my life. Now that I know the truth I refuse to go back and pretend that everything is the same. I refuse to work with those murderers!”

Micheal’s lips lift into a smirk, “You do realize that we are murderers as well, yes?”

Tom flushes a bit, “Y-Yes, of course. But I know that your cause is for something better,” He looks down, “I will be honest, I hate murder. I think it is wrong in every aspect, …but I can see that you are doing what you think is right for this country. The CRC murder and starve innocents without reason. I wish to not be affiliated with them any longer.”

Micheal studies him for what feels like an eternity before eventually, he nods, “Very well. I allow you into Sao, but you will be closely monitored at all times. You have a lot to prove if you ever want to be a true member of this team.” He turns to the assassins that have gathered around them and dismisses them with a look. 

Raven smiles and lets her arms fall to her sides. She glances back at Tom and smiles before falling to her knees.

“Raven!” Micheal and Ben shout.

Ben manages to catch her before she can fully fall to the ground, but she is already unconscious.

~

“Dammit, Raven! Why didn’t you tell me that you were hurt this bad?” Micheal demands.

Raven rolls her eyes, ”I’m fine now. And it’s not like I really had a chance to tell you when you had all those weapons pointed at us.”

He sighs, ”You know they weren’t pointed at you,” He places a hand on her shoulder, “I’m glad you made it back safe.”

“You have Tom to owe for that.”

“Did he really save you from an enforcer?” Micheal asks her, “He told me everything while you were asleep. But he just doesn’t seem… like the fighting type.”

Raven nods, ”He did. He was quite beat up about it afterward though. He wasn’t lying when he said that he hates murder and conflict.”

“That may be a problem,” Micheal hums, “If we can’t rely on him during missions then he is of no use to us.”

Raven sends him a glare, “We can rely on him. Give him a chance before you talk about him like that.”

Silence falls between them before Raven asks. ”When will the remembrance ceremony be?”

“Tomorrow night.”

She nods and stares down at her hands. Martin, Jensen, and Jared were good men. They will be missed. Raven can’t help but feel a bit responsible for Jensen and Jared’s deaths. She was the leader of their team, she should have noticed that something was wrong, that they were being watched.

“Don’t think about the past, Rae. We need to keep pushing forward,” Her brother tells her firmly, “James disabled the bomb and we were able to snag some information regarding the production of it. I’m holding a meeting tomorrow where I will give further information.”

Raven nods, “It’s good to hear that it wasn’t all for nothing.”

Micheal then stands up from Raven’s bedside, “He is waiting outside. He was worried about your condition,” He tells her with some annoyance, “Seems rather attached to you, don’t you think?”

Raven rolls her eyes. “He’s a friend, so don’t be mean to him.”

Micheal huffs and exits the infirmary. Tom enters a moment later and sits down in the chair Micheal had occupied.

“How are you feeling?” He asks.

“Better. It shouldn't take too long to heal from this. The medicine we have here is better than a lot of what the CRC has,” Raven tells him.

“How did you get all mixed up with this?” Tom questions curiously, “You mentioned that your parents were killed by enforcers, but how did you come to be a part of this group?”

“My brother and I were the first members,” She explains, “Our previous leader took us off the streets and gave us hope for a better world.”

“That man,” He points behind him, “Was that your current leader?”

“Yes. That was Micheal. He is also my older brother.”

Tom’s eyes widen, ”Oh, wow. I would not have guessed that.”

Raven chuckles, ”We are very different from each other.”

Tom studies her silently, “You are different as well.”

Raven’s eyes harden, “The girl that was your assistant was not me.”

Tom nods, ”I know that all too well already.”

Raven cracks a grin. The door of the infirmary then opens and Ben walks in with a tray holding two bowls of soup. He smiles brightly once he sees that his friend is awake. 

“Glad to see you awake. I brought you something to eat, “ Ben looks to Tom, “I bought you some as well.”

Tom looks surprised, “Oh? Thank you.”

Ben hands them the food and then pulls another chair over to sit on Raven’s other side. “Ro told me that you were pretty beat up. Severe burns on your back, and all four limbs. As well as a mild concussion and a knife wound in your lower back,” Ben shakes his head in wonder, “It’s a miracle you made it back in one piece.”

“How did you get the burns?” Tom asks, “I wondered about them before, but there was not time to ask about it.”

“Some new type of grenade,” Raven explains. A somber look crosses her face, “Jensen and Jared weren’t so lucky.”

Silence falls over the room. Ben clenches his hands into fists, “Damn it.”

Tom clears his throat and looks at Ben, “You were undercover as well,” He notes, “John Tuttle.”

Raven snickers.

Ben sighs and nods, then holds out his hand, “I should introduce myself properly for I fear that name will stick. My name is Ben.”

Tom shakes his outstretched hand, “Nice to meet the real you.”

“Ben is my partner for most missions,” Raven explains, “As well as my best friend here in Sao.”

“Oh, I feel honored,” Ben jokes.

Raven rolls her eyes, “How about you find Tom a room so I can get some rest?”

Ben pats her arm and stands, “Alright. I will come check up on you tomorrow,” He tells her. He looks to the tall man, “Let’s go, Hiddleston.”

Tom places his empty bowl on the tray Ben brought and stands. The two men exit the room and Ben leads the way through the maze of halls.

“It will take you awhile to get used to it down here,” Ben tells him, “It can be quite disorienting for new members, but you will figure it out soon enough.”

Ben points out where a few of the halls lead to as they walk, “The training hall is that way, and the common rooms and mess hall are to our left. This way is where the sleeping quarters are located.” Ben stops in front of a doorless room and gestures Tom inside, “This is your room.”

Tom turns in a circle as he studies the room. It is small, much smaller than any room he has lived before. The walls are a grayish/white color, and the floor is made of the same concrete as the rest of the base. The only furniture is a small mat on the floor, which Tom assumes is supposed to be the bed. It is not comfortable or homey, but at least it is clean.

“Oh,” Be n ducks out of the room for a moment before returning with a pile of clothing in his hands, “Here is some clothing for you to change into,” Ben hands a simple black t-shirt, and pants to the man.

“Thank you,” Tom tells him.

The assassin smiles, “No problem. You should get some rest too,” He tells Tom, “Someone will wake you tomorrow so you can begin your training.”

Tom gulps nervously as he is left alone. He flips the light switch to turn off the lights, and then walks to the mat and lays down on it with a sigh. Shutting his eyes, he turns onto his side facing away from the lit doorway. 

Tomorrow marks the day of his new life.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15:

It has been almost a week since Tom was brought into Sao. He has yet to settle in since most do not trust him, but he has gotten along quite well with Ben and James. Raven was right in her assumption that Tom would bond well with the weapons maker. They have been working in the lab long into the night when Tom doesn’t have training. 

Micheal held a meeting and explained how the next few months will pan out. They have leads on other nuclear weapons factories which are at the top of the team’s priority list, but he is also planning to move forward with taking down the government and CRC leaders. Two main teams will be tackling each of those while the rest of Sao works on recruiting and helping citizens. 

To her despair, Raven has been put on training duty. Micheal told her that since she is still healing she will have to hold off on any mission, so he put her in charge of training Tom and a few other newer recruits. 

Raven walks into the training room and grabs one of the wooden staffs from the wall. “Alright, line up!” She orders. 

The five members in training quickly line up and stand in salute. Tom stands in-between two of them and looks a bit lost. He tries to copy the stance, but he is holding his arm the wrong way. 

Raven walks to him and grabs his raised fist and turns it, “Straight at the elbow, fist raised high facing ahead. And this fist over your heart,” She nods at the corrections, “This is our salute. Do not forget it.”

Tom nods and stays silent. 

Raven hums and walks down the line, eyeing her students, “Let’s give Tom a little insight to what he should look like after two months of training,” She pulls two trainees from the line and has them move to the center of the room. 

Tom is then blown away by an intense spectacle of hand to hand combat. They exchange fast, confident blows. Tom looks on in awe, then in terror realizing that he is expected to be like that eventually. 

“Good,” Raven tells them once they finish, “But I expect sharper turns, and make sure to watch your footing, John.”

John nods and walks back into the line. 

Raven holds her staff at her side and addresses all of the recruits, “We are working with staffs today. Grab one and pair up,” She tells them, “Start with the warm-up combinations,” She walks over to Tom and guides him to an empty space in the room, “You’re with me,” She tells him. 

He follows and grabs the staff she hands him. Raven shows him some basic footwork and blocks, then leaves to check on the other recruits. 

“Good,” Raven encourages Tom as she swings by him again, “Keep your movements lighter. Don’t put all your strength into each hit or your opponent will knock you down.”

Tom nods and wipes the sweat from his brow. He takes a break and looks over at two of the higher-class trainees sparring, “How are they so fast?” He questions, just watching them is making him out of breath.

“We take muscle and sense enhancers,” Raven answers, “That is how we are able to traverse rooftops so easily.”

Tom looks at her surprised, “Similar to what enforcers take?”

She nods, “James and Ro joined together to create a new upgraded version. As of right now, they are stronger than anything the CRC are supplying,” Raven raises her staff in challenge, “If you get through basic training you will also be given some.”

Tom raises his staff as well and tries his best to keep up as she teaches him the basics of sparring. 

~

Raven accompanies Tom to the showers once training is finished. He is still unused to the maze of tunnels that make up Sao’s base, so Raven kindly offered to show him the way.

“What is the story with all the birds?” Tom questions as they walk past the dining hall. Assassins are seated at tables while many of their birds fly overhead or rest atop wooden perches. He has seen the flying animals all over the base ever since he joined. “I had no idea Ucaidia even had this many species still.”

“Ucaidia doesn’t. Many of these birds have come from other lands, brought here by their cousins and the knowledge of safe haven,” Raven answers, “The warfare of the world has caused many animals to go extinct. The rest are hunted to near extinction for food and clothing. Our original leader found a hawk that had been genetically tampered with to be used during World War III, they created a tight bond with each other and over time we collected other birds. We have altered them to be smarter, to be able to help us during missions, but they also bond with an assassin of their choosing and become partners for life,” Raven spots her bird as they walk near one of the main bird housing rooms. Raven whistles to get her attention and smiles as Vex flies to her, “This is Vex. You will get your bird once you are fully entered into the fold,” Raven tells Tom.

He stares at the beautiful raven on her shoulder and nods, “How smart are they?”

Raven studies Vex, “They can follow intricate commands and have been known to make thoughtful decisions. I would say they could rival most humans, especially those that control Ucaidia’s government.”

Tom shakes his head in amazement, “This is crazy.”

“What is?”

“This entire situation that I am in. …But I love it,” Tom smiles at Raven, “I am glad you came into my office that day.”

Raven feels her face get a little warm, something that she is not used to, “I-I’m glad as well.”

Tom’s smile widens as he looks at her. She frowns, ”What?”

He chuckles and shakes his head, ”Many of you speak differently here. I have noticed that you merge words together.”

“Oh,” Raven nods understandingly, “It is the old way of speaking. They spoke a lot less formally centuries ago. Many who are poor pick up this way of speaking nowadays. My brother and I became used to it when we joined Sao. I’m sure in time you will pick up some of our colloquialisms.”

“When did Ben join you?”

Raven glances at him questioningly. 

He shrugs, ”You two seem very close.”

Raven leads him down another corridor, “We are. Ben was one of the first to be recruited into Sao. He joined when he was only fourteen.”

“Did he have no parents?”

“They died when he was very young… but that is not a story for me to tell. Anyway, he lived on the streets of the poor district for years until Micheal and I’s mentor found him. He convinced Ben to join us and the rest is history.” 

Tom nods understandingly, “I see.” He looks hesitant, “Actually, there is something else I wish to know.”

Raven nods for him to speak.

Tom clears his throat, “Well, you said that your original leader recruited you years ago… but Sao has only recently been talked about.”

“Ah. So you are wondering what we were doing for all those years?”

Tom nods.

Raven chuckles and gestures around her, “Well, this didn’t all happen in a day. Micheal and I were the first to join. Our leader had nothing before us. All he had was a dream that he had yet to execute. He put all his effort into training Micheal, Ben, and I. When he died, Micheal had to take over and chose to carry on that dream. For years we took assassin and thieving contracts. That is how we got money for equipment and supplies.”

Tom frowns, “Where did you find these contracts?”

Raven smiles at his innocence, “There is an underground network of drug dealers, thieves, and other lowlives. Every poor district has one. Contracts came from anyone; the poor and also the rich. The CRC know of these dealings, but they rarely act on them. The networks are often small and do little to upset the lives of the rich, so they don’t bother to erase them.”

“B-but the country’s crime rate is the lowest it has ever been!”

Raven nods, “Yes, it is. The CRC has done a great job of scaring many to follow the laws, but those who have nothing and must steal to survive are a different story. They have learned to keep these dealings from the public, and the CRC in turned a blind eye to most. Enforcers tend to make examples of lawbreakers, but if those lawbreakers are homeless inhabitants of the poor district then there are few to show the example to. The middle-class district is the most strict when it comes to crime,” She glances at Tom, “The early years were rough for us. Sao was basically unknown. We did not have the equipment and suits that we do now. So for years we honed our skills and recruited others. And now we are finally in a place where we can move on toward our goal.”

Raven stops in front of the room leading to the showers. She turns to Tom, “We have another training session tomorrow morning. Don’t be late.”

Tom salutes her, “Am I doing it right?” He asks her with a smile.

Her lips quirk up in a smirk, “Yes.”

Vex suddenly leaps from Raven’s shoulder and flies onto Tom’s. He stumbles a bit as the large bird sits heavily on his shoulder. He looks a bit scared and glances at the assassin for help, but Raven just watches shock as Vex nudges her head against Tom’s before flying away.

Tom stands frozen in the same spot, blinking in shock, “…W-what was that about?” He stutters.

Raven shakes her head in wonder, “I have no idea. She usually hates everyone but me.”

They stand in silence for a moment before Raven clears her throat, “Well, I see you tomorrow then,” She then turns on her heel and walks to the showers.

Tom watches her go before heading into the men’s shower area.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16:

“This could solve the problem I was having!” James says excitedly as he looks over the plans that Tom is helping him with.

Tom smiles, “I am glad to be of some help.”

The two brainiacs have been working together for weeks now. Tom finds it so amazing that James has designed so much equipment for the assassins, and there is still so much that the man has been unable to achieve on his own. With Tom here, James is very optimistic about the things they will create together. They have already begun work on designing a glider suit for the assassins, which will aid them in long distance travel. 

Tom feels much more at home in Jame’s lab. Surrounded by things he understands makes him comfortable. Being the underdog, and the weakling in training practice is a bit disheartening, but he always feels better when he enters the lab. That is where he excels and feels purposeful. 

“Seems like you two have been getting along,” Micheal notes as he strides into the lab. He looks at the plans they have been working on.

James nods, “Tom has been an enormous help!”

Tom flushes a bit, “That is a bit of an exaggeration-“

“Nonetheless, I have a mission that I think you will be helpful for. If you are up to it, that is?” Micheal tells him.

Tom straightens up and nods, “I am.”

Micheal crosses his arms and leans against the table, “We have been making slow progress with disabling the other nuclear weapons. I currently have the location of two more bombs, but they are far from each other. It would take us a month to get to both… but if we had two teams we could disable them at the same time. James has told me that he is confident in your skills,” His eyes bare into Tom’s, “Are you ready to prove yourself to this team?”

Tom nods firmly, “I am.”

Micheal looks pleased, “You leave in two days. There is a meeting tonight explaining all the details, don’t be late,” He then stalks off to his office.

Tom lets out the breath he didn’t know he was holding and looks at James. The scientist smiles brightly and clasps him on the back, “You will do great. Do not fret.”

Tom smiles weakly and nods. If he is being honest with himself, Micheal still scares the shit out of him. That man is so stern all of the time. Tom doesn't think he has ever seen him smile.

Tom checks the time, “I have a training session with Raven. I best be on my way.”

James nods, his attention already fixed on something else, ”Have fun,” He responds distractedly.

Tom rolls his eyes and leaves the lab. 

Making his way through the concrete halls, Tom sees many birds flying through the base. This is something he has become accustomed to. It really isn't that bad since the birds keep the halls fairly clean and Tom has yet to be pooped on.

A black bird suddenly lands on his shoulder. He jumps a little, but then relaxes thinking that it is Vex. However, upon closer inspection, he realizes it isn’t. This bird is smaller. A crow, not a raven. 

“Hello there,” Tom says to it cautiously, “Where is your master?”

The bird only caws and then flies away. Tom frowns a bit confused, but shrugs it off and continues walking. 

“You’re late,” Raven says as he enters the training room. 

“I am so sorry. I must have lost track of time while I was helping James,” Tom quickly apologizes. 

She waves it off, “Forget it. Let’s get started.”

Today is their solo training session. Tom likes these days because he doesn’t feel as intimidated by the other trainees. He also likes spending some one on one time with Raven. He wants to get to know the real her. She is so different from the compliant assistant he once had. She is strong-willed, also stubborn, but a force to be reckoned with if you cross her. 

“You’re getting better,” She praises him, then slams him on his back, “But you still have a lot to learn.”

Tom gasps as the air is knocked from his lungs, “…Thanks,” He wheezes and rolls onto his side. 

Raven smiles and twirls her staff above her head, “Stand up. Let’s do it again.”

Tom gets to his feet and assumes his fighting stance. He then attacks first which is unusual for him. This catches Raven off guard enough for him to make her stumble a bit. He smiles at his achievement but is soon eating the ground once again when she attacks back. 

“Did you hear about the meeting tonight?” Tom asks Raven as they take a break. 

She nods, “Micheal is trying out something new I’ve heard.”

“He said he might want me to help disable the bombs. They can only do one at a time with James, but with me, we could do double the amount,” He tells her. He looks down at his staff, “I am a bit nervous. Combat is still new to me, and I have never disabled a real bomb before, only practice ones with James helping me through them. I-“

“I think you would do a fine job,” Raven tells him as he starts to ramble, “James isn’t adept in combat either. That is why we send him with a team of highly trained assassins to guard his back. You shouldn’t worry. This is a big step for my brother to take. This means he is starting to trust you. That is good news.”

Tom smiles, ”Thank you for the reassurance. I am feeling much better now.”

Raven stands and holds out her hand to help him up, “Let’s get back to work.”

Tom smiles up at her and takes her hand. He has never felt like this in his old life. He never felt this close to anyone, or so happy. ...Well, maybe once before when his uncle was still around. 

Tom pauses as the thought of his uncle enters his mind. He wonders if his uncle has even noticed that he has gone missing. 

Raven notices his change in demeanor, “You okay?” She asks with a frown.

Tom shakes the thoughts from his mind and he smiles at her once again, “Fine. Just thinking about... Doesn’t matter,” He grabs his staff and moves into his fighting stance. 

Raven decides not to question him further. She has an idea of what might be bugging him, but it is not her place to ask when he clearly doesn’t wish to talk about it. “Alright then,” She locks staffs with him. 

~

“I am sending out two teams,” Micheal announces. 

All of the elite assassins, including Tom and James, are sitting in the meeting room listening to Micheal’s next strategy. 

“We need to end this bomb threat so we can put all our focus back on the Premier,” Micheal scans the faces in the room, “Team A will be Johnny, Ben, and James. Team B will be Raven, Robert, and Tom. Johnny, your team will be heading to sector 5 in this ward. Raven, you three will be in the South ward in sector 6,” He looks over the teams, “Be quick and safe. I don’t want any more casualties. Any questions?”

No one speaks up.

Micheal nods, ”You will all be leaving tonight. Go pack your things and be at the exit hatch in two hours.”

The assassins salute their leader and start to file out if the room. Micheal calls Tom over for a word. 

“Follow me to the lab. We need to get you outfitted for the mission,” He tells Tom. 

Tom gulps and he is led through the halls. This is starting to feel more real and the fear is creeping in once again. His biggest fear is that he may have to kill someone. Tom has always been against violence, especially murder, but he knows that he is better off with Sao. Tom has only killed once, and it was an accident. He never meant to kill that enforcer, but a part of him is glad he did because Raven would have probably died if he hadn’t. 

“You don’t have a custom suit yet since you haven’t fully been accepted into Sao, but this one should fit you good enough for now,” Micheal tells him and hands over a black combat suit similar to the one Tom has seen Raven of the other assassins wear. 

“Ah, here it is!” James exclaims from behind a desk. He walks over to Tom, and hands him a mask. “And since you also don’t have a bird or a mask, here is a replica of mine to wear.”

Tom takes ahold of the mask that resembles the beak of a blue jay. It is made of a tough black material with blue and white designs decorating it. Small filters are fitted into each side of the mask to filter the wasteland air. Tom smiles at James, “Thank you.”

James also sets a bag on the table and rifles through it, “Here are your weapons.”

“I know you haven’t had much training with them, but they are still useful to have,” Micheal says to Tom. He pulls out each weapon that is standard for all of the assassins, “Pistol, crossbow, and cable launcher. Though I suggest that you hold off on using the cable launcher if you can. That requires a bit of training to get used to. Would be a shame for you to have an accident while using it.”

Tom gulps as he is handed the gadget. The cable launcher is fitted into an arm guard that attaches to the wrist. 

“The mechanism is small but strong, and can carry over three hundred pounds of weight,” James informs him, “It is built from the designs of an old grapple gun, but I have modified and compacted the design so it can be worn on the wrist.”

Tom nods as he looks over the device thoughtfully, “A smart idea. We may be able to intergrade this into our glider.”

Jame’s eyes widen, “That is a great idea-“

“Alright, enough of that,” Micheal interrupts them, “You two can continue that when you get back.”

James nods and then grabs two vial filled with a light blue liquid, “We need to take our enhancements before we leave.”

Tom frowns at the vials, “I thought trainees were not allowed to use those.”

Micheal leans against the table and crosses his arms, “Usually they aren’t, but you are a different case. There is no way you will be able to keep up with the others without some kind of enhancer.”

James reaches out for Tom’s arm which he hesitatingly gives. “Ouch!” Tom jumps a bit as James administers the shot. 

Micheal cracks a smile and pats Tom on the back, “Go put on your suit and ask James if you need any alterations. I will meet you at the hatch with the others.” He heads off to his office leaving Tom and James alone. 

Tom watches him go with wide eyes, “D-Did he just smile?”

James chuckles, “He’s not a robot, Tom. The longer you know him the more he will open up around you,” James points to a small bathroom that sits in the corner of the lab, “You can change in there.”

Tom nods and walks to the room to change. The suit fits fine and he is soon headed toward the entrance of Sao with James.

“I will be listening in if you need anything,” Micheal tells the two teams, “Your trains will be departing soon. I suggest you get a move on it.”

The two teams climb the ladder up to the wasteland area and navigate past the wall and into the poor district of sector 4.

“Stay safe,” Ben tells Raven as he hugs her, “And keep an eye on this one,” He nods at Tom with a smirk, “I like him.” 

Raven rolls her eyes, ”I’ll do my best. You stay safe too. Don’t go dying on me.”

Ben smiles, ”Deal.”

The two teams split ways, heading for the train stations that will take them to their respective sectors. 

“Come on,” Raven urges Tom as she starts to scale a building. 

Tom stares up at the structure with wide eyes, watching as his teammates easily climb the brick walls. He knows he wouldn’t be able to do that on a normal day, but today he has a special drug flowing through his veins. He doesn’t feel any different though. 

Taking a deep breath, he gets a foothold and starts to climb. Minutes go by and he finds himself not feeling the usual muscle fatigue that would happen when exerting oneself. 

“You good?” Raven asks Tom as he pulls himself onto the roof. 

He laughs breathily and looks off into the distance, “I do not feel tired at all. This is amazing.”

Raven smirks beneath her mask, ”You haven’t seen anything yet.” She shares a look with Robert then takes a running leap off of the roof. 

Tom feels his heart jump, before relaxing a little as she lands safely on another rooftop. She turns around to him and waves cheekily. 

Robert slaps Tom on the back with a chuckle, “Let’s not keep the woman waiting.” He then takes the leap and lands next to Raven. They both look expectingly at Tom. 

Tom curses under his breath before taking a couple steps back, “This is insane,” He mutters before charging forward and leaping from the edge. 

Tom wishes he could say that he landed on his feet, but in reality, he let out a shout of fear and landed on his face onto of the other rooftop. 

“It happens to everyone on their first try,” Raven tries to cheer him up as Robert helps him to his feet. 

Tom nods, although his ego is still bruised. He shakes the gravel from his hair and pulls his hood back up, “Let us get going.”

They continue leaping from roof to roof, with Tom only stumbling a few times. They arrive at the train station quickly, finding a dark area with a good view of the incoming trains. 

Raven crouches on the ledge of the roof they are on and points down at the station, “That passenger train will take us to the South ward. It transports enforcers to different sectors so we must be extra careful.”

”How will we get on?” Tom questions, “There is no way we can sneak on without being seen.”

Raven shakes her head, “Not entirely true. These are Hyper-trains, and as you know they can reach speeds over 900mph,” Raven explains, “But it takes them around ten minutes to reach those high speeds. If we enter from the roof of a train car we should be able to bypass security easily.”

Tom’s eyes widen, ”You want us to jump onto a speeding train?!”

“Like I said, it takes them about ten minutes to reach top velocity. We have a small window of maybe five minutes that our bodies will be able to withstand.”

“We do it all the time,” Robert assures him, “No one has fallen off yet.”

 

Tom gulps and stands when they do. Raven tells them to follow her lead. She scales down the building and lands on the cover that sits above where the trains dock. Tom and Robert land by her side and wait in crouched positions. They wait until the train begins to leave the station, before they jump onto it. 

Raven steadies Tom as he lands, and points to a train car in front of them, “This one is empty,” She tells her teammates before making her way to it. 

The assassins keep low as they jog across the top of the train, the wind starts to whip at them more forcefully as the train speeds up. 

Raven reaches the car and drops down where the two cars are linked. She wrenches open the door and ushers Tom and Robert inside. 

“We should arrive in about an hour,” Raven tells her teammates as she takes a seat on a large crate, “Relax for a bit while you can. Once we get there we will have to be on our guard at all times.”

Tom takes a seat on the floor and tries to calm himself. His mind is racing with anxious thoughts about the mission. 

What has he gotten himself into?


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

“Hurry!” Raven hisses at Tom. 

“I am!” He replies as he tries to dismantle the nuclear bomb in front of him, “This is quite different from the blueprints James showed me.”

‘Less talking and more working,’ Robert growls through their earpieces. Gunshots can be heard in the background. 

Tom gulps and moves faster. Minutes later he has disabled the bomb and Raven has rid their systems of any blueprints.

“We’re done here. Let’s go,” Raven orders. 

Tom follows Raven out of the room and down a hallway where they soon meet up with Robert. 

“Halt!” An enforcer shouts in front of the assassins.

Raven guns him down without a second thought and pulls a shellshocked Tom after her. 

Raven and Robert keep the enforcers at bay while guiding Tom safely through the building. The three assassins then escape the building and make their way toward the apartment they were using as their hideout. 

“Great job, boys,” Raven appraises her team. She smiles at Tom, ”Wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Tom lays on the floor, still trying to get his breath back from all the running and adrenalin, “…Piss off.”

Raven laughs and bends down to pat his shoulder, “I’m going to report back to Micheal. We are leaving in an hour,” She stands and walks into the other room.

Tom closes his eyes and relaxes for the first time in hours. The whole experience was terrifying, but he feels a sense of accomplishment. He has finally done something of worth in his life, something that will help people. …But people were killed tonight. That is something he cannot forget about. They may not have died by his hand, but he still feels responsible for aiding in their death.

“I know that look,” Robert comments from a chair nearby, “Don’t go down that road, Tom. If you let yourself feel remorse you won’t survive on this team.”

Tom sighs and opens his eyes to gaze up at the ceiling, “I cannot help it. Those were people. They may not be good people, but they are still living, breathing human beings just like you and me. We have no right to pick and choose who dies. That power should be held beyond all men.”

“But it isn’t. People kill, and they won’t be stopped until we do something about it.” Robert looks out the small window to his right, “People are awful creatures. When you have had someone close to you die you will understand.”

Tom closes his eyes once more and mulls that over.

Raven leans against a wall in the next room, “We disabled the bomb without much issue,” She reports to her brother. 

‘Good. Johnny’s team just reached their destination. They should be done by the time you return,’ Micheal pauses. ‘How did Hiddleston do?’

Raven smiles a bit, “He did good. He kept his cool and disabled the device as quick as he could. He is still weak when it comes to combat though. He will need quite a bit more experience in the field before he comes to terms with death, but I think he can handle it.”

‘You put a lot of faith in this man.’

“I do. ...I just have this feeling about him. He is a good man and I think he will do great things with us.”

‘I trust your judgment. Have a safe trip back.’ 

The transmission ends and Raven starts packing up. 

~

“Welcome back,” Ro greets Raven and Tom as they enter Jame’s lab, “How did it go?”

Raven sets her weapons on one of the tables and starts to shed off her suit, “Good. How is Johnny’s team?”

“They are on their way back now.”

Raven nods, ”That’s good,” She glances at Tom who is standing with his back to her respectively. “You can turn around,” She tells him.

Tom turns and then blushes profusely at the sight of her wearing so little clothing. Raven rolls her eyes, “Get used to it, Tom.”

He still avoids eye contact with her, “I-I am just not used to how few of clothing you wear here. The CRC always kept everyone in a strict dress code.”

Raven crosses her arms and glances down at the tank top and spandex shorts that clothe her body, “Well, here we believe in function. Wearing anything more would cause me to die of heat exhaustion in that suit,” Raven tells him. 

Tom nods, ”Understood.”

Ro watches them with a smile on her face, “You two are cute.”

Raven raises an eyebrow at her, ”Excuse me?”

Ro waves her hand dismissively, ”Don’t mind me. I just-“

“RO!” A voice shouts from down the hall. The usually soft-spoken, Johnny, comes running in with a distressed look on his face, “Ro, we need you in the infirmary. Ben has been injured!” 

Raven feels her heart drop. She rushes after Ro and Johnny without a second thought.

“James, prep him for surgery.” Raven hears Ro order as she enters the med wing. Ro sees Raven loitering by the door. “Rae, you need to leave. I’m sorry but you can’t be in here.”

Raven’s eyes widen as Johnny pulls her from the room, “W-Wait! I need to see him-“

“He is in good hands,” Johnny assures her as he sits her down in a chair outside of the room.

“What happened?” Raven questions him as her eyes dart back to the door of the infirmary.

Johnny sits next to her and lets out a heavy sigh, “Everything was going good,” He says as he wipes some dirt from his brow, “We disabled the bomb and were about to leave when we were ambushed. We took care of them, but one was able to get a shot off on Ben. It was a flesh wound really, so we didn’t worry too much about it.”

“But?” Raven urges.

Johnny nods, ”But, on the train ride back Ben suddenly collapsed. He screamed and writhed like he was on fire or something,” Johnny furrows his brow and shakes his head, “All we could do was knock him out so we could get him back here as fast as possible.”

Raven gulps and stares at the closed door, “What could have caused this?”

Johnny shakes his head, ”I have no idea. Ro will fix him,” He assures her, “She always does, so don’t fret.”

Raven gulps and nods. Johnny then stands and leaves to give his report to Micheal.

Raven slowly lowers her head into her hands and exhales heavily. A little while later Raven feels a hand touch her shoulder. She flinches and lifts her head sharply.

“Sorry,” Tom apologizes.

Raven sighs, ”What do you want?”

He sits in a chair beside her, ”I just came to see how you were doing. Has there been any news?”

She shakes her head.

Silence fills the air.

Tom glances at his friend and finds her staring aimlessly at the door that shields Ben from her. He has never seen her like this. Her strong exterior is cracking.

Raven would be lost without Ben. He has always been there for her through thick and thin. They grew up together, he is just as much of a brother to her as Micheal is. 

Tom decides to just sit there with her silently. He realizes Raven probably wouldn't want to be consoled, so he sits with her for the next few hours. Hoping his company is enough to comfort her.

~

“…Rae. Raven, wake up,” A voice wakes Raven from her slumber.

Raven opens her eyes and sits up with a yawn. She looks around and realizes that she had fallen asleep in the chair outside of the medic room.

Ro stands in front of her with a soft smile,”You can see him now.”

Raven jumps to her feet and sprints into the room. Ben is laying awake in one of the beds. He smiles at her disheveled appearance. ”You slept outside this room, didn’t you?” He chuckles.

Raven ignores his jab and sits in the chair next to his bed, ”How are you feeling?” She questions, looking over him for any wounds, “Where were you hurt? How-”

“Raven,” He stops her, “I’m fine. Just a scratch,” He tries to brush off her worries. 

“It was most certainly not!” Ro disagrees as she walks into the room. Grabbing her tablet from a table, she flips through a few documents and reads them aloud, ”He came to me with a gunshot wound in the abdomen, and the bullet was laced with an infectious virus of some kind. I haven’t been able to correctly identify the virus used, but I was able to kill it before it caused too much damage.”

Raven glares at Ben, ”Just a scratch?”

Ben smiles sheepishly.

Ro smiles and shakes her head at the two younger assassins, “You will need to take it easy for a few weeks,” She tells Ben, “No missions for a month at least.”

“Yes, doc.”

Ro pats his shoulder and glances at Raven, “Tom stayed with you almost the entire time,” She tells her, “He only left to grab you some food for when you woke. I assume he will be on his way back soon.”

Raven looks surprised, “He stayed?”

Ro nods and says, “Such a sweet man,” Before leaving them.

Raven frowns and turns to Ben, “Seems you have made an impact on the man.”

Ben chuckles, “I don't know if it’s just me. How did he do on the mission?”

“He did well. I think he will go up in the ranks quickly once he is a full member.”

Ben nods, ”I have the same feeling. Once he relaxes a bit he will fit in fine. He has a certain charm about him, doesn’t he?”

Raven smirks and raises an eyebrow, ”Is he charming you?”

Ben laughs and shakes his head, ”I just meant that he is very likable, despite growing up around the CRC. He has showed his kindness an concern for others on multiple occasions.”

Raven shrugs, ”I guess so.” 

A knock at the door catches their attention.

“Speak of the devil,” Raven murmurs and rises to answer it.

Tom shows her tray of broth soup and vegetables he has brought, “I come bearing gifts.”

“Come in, Tom,” Ben calls out with a chuckle.

Raven opens the door wider to let him in. Tom smiles when he sees Ben awake and talking.

“He is alive!” Tom teases.

Ben chuckles, ”Can’t get rid of me that easily.” 

Raven rolls her eyes and closes the door.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18:

 

“Harder!” Raven orders.

Tom huffs and swings his arm more forcefully at the punching bag. Sweat pours down his face as he continues to train. He had hopes that this would get easier with time, but he was sadly mistaking. As soon as he became comfortable with an exercise or training drill Raven would change things and make them ten times harder. Tom finally feels himself catching up to the other recruits though, and he knows it is because of her tough regimen. 

“Enough,” Raven tells him, ”We are done for the day. Go shower up.”

Tom’s body sags as he tries to catch his breath. He hasn’t had the luxury to use any more of the enhancers. Since he is still not a full member of the team they are reserved for when he goes on the odd mission or two. He hasn’t been outside of the base in over a month, though he can’t say he misses it.

Every moment you are on the outside you are in danger. Whether it is the shockwaves that plague the barren land above Sao’s base, or the enforcers in the city districts, Ucaidia is not a place for outsiders. 

Tom showers off and is soon on his way toward the common room to relax. He finds Robert and Johnny sitting at a table together with drinks. 

“Another grueling training session?” Robert asks as Tom takes a seat with them. 

Tom nods and leans back in his chair with a heavy sigh. 

Robert hands him a dark bottle. Tom smiles thankfully and takes a big swig from it, only to spit it out almost immediately. The others laugh while Tom coughs and sputters. Even Johnny cracks a smile at the scene. 

“What the HELL was in that?!” Tom gasps. 

Robert, still chuckling, pats him roughly on the back, “That there is what we call, Scorch.”

“I can imagine why,” Tom grumbles and wipes the liquid from his lips, “What is it really?”

Johnny grabs the bottle and takes a big swig of it easily, “James brewed this from the crops we have here,” He tells Tom. 

Tom pauses, “...Wait a minute. Is this alcohol?”

Robert nods, ”Better than the stuff the black market sells.”

Alcohol was banned in Ucaidia decades ago. Tom has never thought much about it, but he feels that he won't be drinking any more of it anytime soon. 

“We strongly regulate the consumption of it here, but it is a nice luxury that we have,” Johnny adds. 

Tom nods and grabs ahold of the bottle to study it closer. 

Raven walks into the room with Vex sitting on her shoulder, and snatches the bottle from him. “That will have you on your ass in seconds, Hiddleston.”

“Oh, he found that out already,” Robert chuckles. 

Raven smirks and takes a drink of it before handing it to Johnny. She pats Tom on the shoulder, “Come on.”

“Where are we going?” Tom asks as he stands. 

“We are going out,” Raven pulls Tom along out of the room. 

“Out?” He echoes, “Like, outside?”

“Yes. I think it is time we get out of these halls and get some fresh air. Our next mission looks like it won't be for awhile, so I thought this outing would be nice,” She tells him. 

“Alright,” Tom trails after her to their sleeping quarters to change into their combat suits. Tom is still using a copy of Jay’s mask and one of the recruit suits. One day he hopes to get a personalized suit like the other members of Sao have, but he has to gain their trust first. 

After changing, they exit the base and make their way through the barren land above. The constant, deadly shockwaves still scare Tom no less, but he has gotten used to navigating through the pattern of them. 

Raven leads him into the outskirts of sector 3 which lie just past the protective wall. They don’t venture very far which surprises Tom. Raven goes just far enough to find a less dilapidated house with an intact roof. She climbs her way up the building with Tom following behind. Pulling herself up onto the shingles, she then takes a seat on the slanted roof and removes her mask. 

This area has been abandoned for decades because of the high radioactivity, so there are no worries of being seen by anyone. 

Tom sits next to her, still a bit confused, and removes his mask as well. They sit in a comfortable silence for the next half hour. 

Tom closes his eyes and feels the chill of the wind whip at his hair. He has missed this more than he realized. The halls of Sao become a bit suffocating after awhile. 

“They say that the sky used to be blue and that the sun was so bright you couldn’t look directly at it,” Raven says after a while. She stares up at the dark, gloomy sky with longing, “What I would give to see it like that.”

“It was a lot warmer back then, wasn’t it?” Tom questions. He knows the basics of Ucaida’s past, but the school system doesn’t like to focus on it much. They do their best to keep the children from daydreaming of ‘fantasies’ as they like to call them. Only teaching the bare facts of how the earth was before the nuclear war. 

Raven nods, “And there was so much land, as well as people. …Our population has diminished incredibly.”

They lapse into silence, listening to the faint booming of the shockwaves hitting the wasteland wall. 

“…Do you miss your old life?”

Tom glances to Raven then looks back at the sky, “Sometimes. Some days I miss it more than others,” Tom follows Vex with his eyes as she flies above them, “I miss my house, my bed,” He cracks a smile before quickly dropping it, “I also miss the safety and the easiness of it. Life was not confusing, or complicated like it is now.”

Raven watches the somber look cross his face before he wipes it away completely. “But like I said, there are only some days I miss those things. I am still happy with my choice to join Sao,” He smiles at Raven, “This life is so much more fulfilling. It beats any of the inessential luxuries I once had.”

Raven is glad to hear him say this, but she can’t help but feel like she doomed him. She basically pulled him into this dangerous world of bloodshed. If he were to die… she would never get over the guilt that would plague her. 

“What kind of bird do you think will choose me?” Tom asks, changing the subject.

“Oh, I can see it being a Finch. Or maybe a hummingbird,” Raven teases.

“Hey! Well, I think a mighty bird will choose me. It will be able to sense my bravery, and cunning-”

Raven bursts out laughing. Tom smiles at the sound of her laugh. He doesn’t get to hear it too often. It's nice to see her relax her tough exterior. 

“Well, we should be getting back,” Raven says and gets to her feet, “Micheal wanted to talk to me about something. A new mission hopefully.”

Tom nods and stands. He watches Raven leap off the roof, before deciding to climb down to avoid breaking anything. The two assassins then make their way to the wall and through the wasteland back to base. 

The two part ways once inside. Tom heads to his quarters to get some rest while Raven goes to see her brother. 

“Knock. Knock,” Raven says as she peeks her head into his office. 

Micheal waves her in and takes a seat behind his desk, “I have a mission coming up for you.”

Raven sits in the chair in front of his desk with a nod, “What are the details?”

“You will be based in sector 6 of the East ward. We have gotten word of some disturbances in the poor district,” He explains, “There are some Sao copycats that need to be taken care of. They are giving us a bad name and we need to put a stop to it as quickly as we can.”

Raven nods, “Shouldn’t be a problem. Who will be my partner? Ben?”

Micheal leans back and interlocks his fingers together, “No. ...I am assigning Hiddleston to this mission.”

Raven’s eyes widen,”Are you sure? That is the sector he is from.”

Micheal nods, “He is not a normal new recruit since he has already been on a number of missions. He needs the experience more than he needs the basic training right now. And I think this will be a good test for him. Resisting the urge to return to his life will show me that he is serious about joining us.”

Raven looks unsure, “This mission will not need his tech experience. He will be greatly disadvantaged when it comes to combat.”

“Like I said, he needs the experience. That is where he will really grow. The enhancers will help, but what he needs to practice most right now is range weapons. Make sure to drill him on those before you leave.”

Raven nods, “Yes, sir.”

Micheal then proceeds to fill her in on the rest of the mission details. Once he is finished he dismisses his sister and returns to looking over the files James sent to him. 

Raven and Tom will set out in a weeks time to the East ward. She has until then to make sure he can at least hit a target.

~

“Hold it steady,” Raven instructs, “The kick back is strong so be ready for it.” 

She is currently coaching Tom on how to fire a gun. He has only fired a gun once in his life, and it was to save Raven from an enforcer. That experience makes this no easier for him. In fact, Tom is more apprehensive to pick a gun up again. For he fears of taking another life.

Raven sees the fear on his face and softens her tone a bit, “You will need to carry one and know how to use it, but no one is going to make you shoot it. It will be your choice whether to use it or not during a mission.”

That makes Tom relax a bit. He raises the weapon more steadily and aims at the target across from him. 

“Good job,” Raven praises. Tom isn’t a bad shot. “Let’s try the crossbow now. I want you to get to know the feel of both of them.”

Tom exhales the breath he had been holding and smiles a bit. He picks up the crossbow and instantly feels the difference between the two weapons. Raven shows him how to load the darts and then steps back while he fires. 

His shots fired are sporadic, but they all make it onto the target. He will be a sharpshooter in no time, Raven thinks. 

After a few hours of shooting Raven calls for a break and leads them to the mess hall for some lunch. 

The two assassins sit down at a table with their modest meal of vegetables grown from the crops here at the base, and a small bowl of broth soup. It is rare that the assassins get to eat meat since all of the country’s livestock has been hoarded by the CRC. Every once in awhile the assassins will go on a mission to steal a few sheep, but most of the assassins have adapted to the vegetarian lifestyle. 

“How many members of Sao are there?” Tom asks out of the blue. He is looking around at the others in the room, “I was just wondering if this is your only base, or if you have other outposts located in Ucaidia.”

Raven takes a sip from her bowl, “This is everyone. My brother has thought about putting up other bases, but he doesn’t want Sao to grow too big. There is more trust between a smaller group of people,” Raven shrugs, “As for an exact number… it is hard to say. We are constantly losing and gaining members. But, I’d say we are around seventy at the moment.”

Tom’s eyes widen a bit at the number, “I did not realize there was that many. It is hard to tell down in this maze of tunnels.”

“There is a constant rotation of those out on missions. So there are about twenty who are always away from the base,” Raven adds. 

“Not to mention those that sneak out,” A deep voice chimes in. 

Tom looks up to see Ben striding over with a smirk on his lips. He is in his combat suit, just got back from a mission most likely. 

Raven rolls her eyes, “I don’t do it often. We just needed some fresh air.”

“You missed seeing me off,” Ben says, faking a sad expression, “My first mission since I was wounded and I don't even get a goodbye.” He takes a seat in-between the two assassins and steals a carrot from Raven’s plate. 

“I am ever so sorry,” Tom apologizes dramatically “However, it was Raven’s idea to leave the base.” 

Raven sends him a scathing glare, “Must I remind you who makes your training drills?”

Tom bites his lip to keep from smiling and lowers his head.

Ben smiles at the two, “Micheal told me about your next mission,” He looks at Tom, “That should be exciting for you.”

“It will be interesting. That is for sure,” Tom mutters.

Raven sees the anxious look retuning to his face, “Don’t worry,” She tells him, ”A few more days of gun training and you will be more than ready,” Raven smirks, ”You are quite the natural.” She glances at her old friend, “You should come and watch him practice, Ben.”

That peeks the man’s interest, “Oh, is he now? I must see this.”

Tom’s eyes widen, “I-I do not think that is necessary. I am sure you are busy-“

Ben smirks, “Not at all. I just got back, so I will have a few days before my next mission.”

“Great…” Tom mumbles.

Raven spots Vex sitting on a perch with some of the other birds of Sao and whistles to catch her attention. She quickly flies over and lands on Raven’s shoulder and lets out a low croaking sound which is common of ravens. 

Tom studies Vex and she studies him right back. The high intelligence of the animals is almost unnerving. “What is that? In her eyes, I mean,” Tom points at Vex’s eyes. They are coal black like a lot of bird’s, but hers also have flecks of green and gold within them.

Raven looks at Vex with a smile, ”At first we thought it may have been due to the genetic tampering, but she the only bird we have found to have eyes like this. So, we don’t really know. Her eyesight seems no better or worse than the others.”

“Well, they are quite beautiful,” Tom comments, becoming mesmerized by her eyes. A croak from Vex snaps him out of it.

Ben chuckles, ”I think she just said thank you.”

Raven joins him in laughter while Tom feels his cheeks burn a bit. He clears hit throat, ”How about we do some more training?”

Raven nods, ”Good idea.”

The three stand and clean up their food mess before leaving to the shooting range. Ben fills them in on his last mission while they navigate through the lit halls. Tom still finds himself getting lost from time to time when he is on his own. Almost every hall looks the same to him, but he has started picking out small details as reminders. For example, the hall leading to the training rooms has a small, discolored chip on the top right corner; The sleeping quarters has a large crack on the right wall; And the mess hall has a more bumpy surface on its walls. Those are the places he goes to on a daily basis, but the times where he has to head somewhere different is when he gets lost. Sao is quite large, but Tom is certain he will memorize everything in time.

“Have you practiced with the crossbow yet?” Ben questions as they enter the deserted range.

Tom nods, ”Yes. I actually prefer it to the gun.”

Ben smiles, ”Me too. Too bad they are slow to reload. Best not to rely on them when in combat. They are great for long range attacks though.”

That sparks a thought of a new design for the weapon. Tom will have to mention it to James later.

Raven walks to the armory and picks up a crossbow and a pack of darts. She hands them over to Tom. “These are sleep darts. They are usually filled with a concentrated liquid which can knock a person out within five or so seconds, but these are empty for you to train with. They are designed slightly different from the regular darts, so there is a learning curve to them.”

Ben nods and crosses his arms, ”They are thinner, and lighter in weight since they don’t have to penetrate as far to get the job done. On the crossbow there are two settings which determine how far each dart will be notched. This is really important because one notch fires the darts farther, which makes them more deadly,” He makes a face, ”I did not know this when I first used one. Shot a sleep dart using the wrong notch and it basically shattered upon impact.”

Raven tries to hide her laugh, but fails greatly. Ben sends her a glare before turning back to Tom with a sigh, “Just remember that.”

“Will do,” Tom mutters. 

“Has he practiced with the cable launchers at all?” Ben questions.

Raven shakes her head, “No. I’ve been waiting for him to build up the strength in his arms and core before I showed him how to use those.”

Ben smiles widely, “Oh, this is going to be fun.”

Tom frowns at them, “I am right here, you know.”

“We will need to head outside for that kind of training,” Raven notes, “Let’s do it tomorrow,” She decides.

Ben nods and looks to Tom, “Let’s continue. I want you to be hitting bullseyes by the end of today,” He orders.

Tom sighs and turns toward the targets, “Yes, Sir.”

~

It is soon the next day, and Tom is being herded out by Raven to the ghost town that lies just beyond the wall. Ben has also joined them to help with Tom’s training.

“This is a cable launcher,” Raven shows Tom the device attached to her wrist, “I know that you have seen one before, but I will just go through the basics,” She extends her arm and the cable suddenly shoots from her wrist and embeds itself into the wall at her right. “It can fix itself to almost any surface, and can even be used as a weapon if needed,” She then twists her wrist and the cable is cut from the device. “It can be cut at any point by a special blade within the bracer, and it will still be able to attach to surfaces. All of the commands are made from your wrist and hand. It will take time, but you will memorize them all eventually.”

Tom’s eyes widen in wonder, “What is it made from?”

“James designed it. I would ask him,” Ben advises. He then smiles, “Now, how about you give it a try?”

The three are soon standing near the wall of a two-story building that used to be a store of some kind.

“Now, take aim,” Raven instructs Tom.

Taking a deep breath, Tom raises his arm and aims for the roof. With a soft whoosh, the cable launches from the device and imbeds itself into the ledge on the roof. 

“Good,” Raven praises, “Now, let’s try the towing mechanism. It will pull you up pretty fast, so you need to be ready for it or it might rip your arm out of its socket.”

Tom gulps nervously and nods. With a deep breath, he clenches his fist and is soon pulled off of the ground. Feeling the air whip at his body, he feels a brief rush of adrenaline before his body starts to slow down. He is stopped just under the ledge where the cable is embedded, so he uses his arms to pull himself onto the roof before cutting the cable connected to the building.

Raven and Ben are soon flying over the ledge and landing next to him with ease. “Once you are more comfortable using it, you can try cutting the cable before it slows you down, “Raven tells him, “The kinetic energy will allow you to land on top of the roof rather than the edge.”

“They also are used for repelling down tall buildings,” Ben adds, “Let’s practice that and scaling up the building a few more times before heading back to the base. Tom should also train some more with the long range weapons before you leave for your mission.”

Raven agrees and for the next hour they continue training in the town before heading back. Tom is quite tired and sore in new places, but he found the training almost fun. He has never felt anything like that, and he would lying if he said he wasn't anxious to do it again.

Ben bids the two of them farewell once they enter the base and heads off to find Robert, while Raven and Tom make there way to the training room.

“Alright, let’s start with the crossbow since I know you like it so much,” Raven voices as she walks to the armory. 

“I have been meaning to ask about this,” Tom says from the other side of the room. He is standing beside one of the walls, this one however has names etched into the surface.

Raven glances over, “Oh, that is where we mark the names of who have fallen,” She grabs two crossbows and walks over to him. “It is our way of remembering them.”

Tom looks at her as she arrives beside him. He takes the offered weapon and looks back to the wall. “What happens to the birds that are partnered to those who have died?”

Raven looks up at the wall where over fifty names have been etched into the stone. “We still care for them, but it is unneeded since the birds usually disappear in a weeks time,” Raven shrugs her shoulders, “No one knows where they go.”

“How strange,” Tom muses. 

After a moment of silence, Raven pats Tom on the back, “Come on. We have work to do.”


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19:

Since joining Sao, Tom hadn't thought a lot about his old home. He thought he had left all of that behind, and he definitely didn't think he would be returning so soon. 

Tom frowns as he looks over the broken windows and dirty streets. It somehow looks worse than it did three months ago. He moves his gaze to the people shuffling along the streets below. Dressed in clothes that would be best described as dirty rags. The people walk with their heads down as they pass multiple enforcers standing guard. This group seems to be on their way back from a day at the factories. 

Raven and Tom are currently crouched atop one of the buildings that line the streets. They had arrived only moments ago from the long train ride.

“Micheal said that the group of rebels is located underground,” Raven murmurs as she looks down at the streets below.

Tom nods, “I heard that too. I saw one of them the last time I was here. They are reckless. Only endangering themselves and making it harder for the people living here.”

“We need to find the entrance to the underground,” Raven murmurs, “We-“

Two gunshots suddenly echo from the street below. Two men have taken out the enforcers on duty and are now addressing the crowd of workers.

“You must fight!” One of the men shouts, “We need to show these people that we will no longer be pushed around! They live in their big houses, with all the food and luxuries they could ask for, while we live like animals! No more! We-“ The man suddenly drops to the ground mid-sentence. 

The crowd backs away startled, murmurs of confusion between them. The other man looks around with his gun raised before he too drops to the ground.

Raven leaps down from the rooftop and lands next to the unconscious men. The crowd falls silent as she looks over them. “This man is not apart of Sao,” She tells the people in a strong, loud voice, “He is no better than those who treat you wrongly. Rioting is not the answer. Sao protects people. We fight so you don’t have to.”

“Where have you been, then?” A brave man speaks up from the crowd. He pushes his way forward and stare defiantly at the assassin, “Why have you not come to our rescue? So many of us die everyday here, and no one has answered our pleas for help… except people like them,” He points at the men who lay at Raven’s feet.

“The enforcers are not your enemy.” 

The people look up to see Tom jumping down from the roof and landing next to Raven. His partner stares at him with wide eyes while cries of outrage come from the crowd. Tom raises his hand for silence and doesn’t speak until there is. “They are only following orders,” He tells the people, “I do not think they are innocent, but they are not the root of the problem and should not be the focus of our anger.” 

“Sao’s enemy is the Premier,” Raven tells them. She sends Tom a glare, warning him to back off. “He is the one who has made our country into this shit hole! He orders these enforcers to hurt and punish people like you. He should be the source of your anger. My team will kill him, and when we do we will set about a new age of freedom for this country.”

Silence falls. 

“…What should we do?” A woman tentatively asks.

Raven looks to her, “You keep your heads down and do what you have to in order to survive. Once we take down the Premier we will need your cooperation to rebuild this country,” She looks at the rest of them, “You should return to your homes now.”

The crowd looks unsure, but they slowly start to disperse. Raven turns to Tom and growls in a hushed voice, ”What the hell was that?!”

“I was only telling the truth,” Tom responds calmly, “The enforcers are only doing their job. They should not be killed for-“

Raven grips the front of his suit and pulls him down to her level to look at him eye to eye. “Enforcers killed my parents! They did so without any remorse and were going to throw Micheal and I into a workhouse!”

“I said they are not innocent, and some are definitely worse than others,” Tom tells her softly, “But there are some good men out there who are just following orders. They have families of their own. Wives and children that would be devastated of their death,” He stares at her with pleading eyes.

Raven’s gaze begins to waver. She suddenly releases Tom and turns her back to him. “Let’s go.”

A voice stops her. “I knew that voice sounded familiar.”

Tom turns around and his eyes widen, “Warren?”

The freckled man smiles and holds out his hand, “Glad to see that you made it home in one piece. …Although I’m a bit confused about that getup.”

Tom shakes his hand and looks down at himself with a chuckle, “It is a rather long story,” He turns to Raven, “This is Warren. He was the man I met when I snuck into this district. Him and his brother actually,” He glances back to Warren, “How is Garret?”

Warren smiles, “He’s good. Asks about you quite often.”

Tom is pleasantly surprised, “Really?”

Raven suddenly interrupts them, “I'm sorry, but we have a mission we need to get back to. How about you two catch up later-“

“Oh, right! Warren, do you know where the entrance to the underground is located?” Tom questions his friend.

Raven internally groans.

“I do,” The freckled man frowns, “Are you sure you want to go there? It’s pretty dangerous.”

“Oh, I think we will be fine,” Raven says a bit snarky.

Warren nods, “Well, I will show you to the entrance then. Follow me.”

The assassins follow after the man from the rooftops, and are soon led to a deserted alley near the board of the district.

Warren points at manhole that sits a few meters away, “That’s the entrance,” He tells them, “There is likely to be a few guarding it from the other side, so be careful.”

Raven nods, “Shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s go,” She tells her partner and starts walking to the sewer entrance.

Tom takes a moment to thank his friend before following after the impatient assassin. Raven has already pulled the lid aside and is about to descend when Tom reaches her side.

“I can sense two down there,” She tells Tom softly. She raises her gaze to his and narrows her eyes, “I will be shooting to kill, as I am sure they will be too. If you don't want to be a part of that, then wait until I give you a sign to come down.”

Tom frowns. He doesn’t like this, but he does realize that the men down there probably won’t give them a chance at being civil. “Alright, I will wait up here.”

Raven nods and begins to climb down the ladder into the dark depths. Her eyes quickly adjust the dim lighting and she drops down the last couple of rungs to the ground. 

The sound of a gun cocking next to her head makes her freeze. “What’s your purpose?” A man questions behind her 

“Weird outfit,” Another man murmurs from the shadows in front of the assassin. 

Raven sighs and glances behind herself at the man. He is dressed in some dirtied enforcer armor, and equipped with a gun and electrified whip attached to his waist. Raven can guess how he attained such armor. 

Wanting to get this over with, Raven moves quick as a bullet as she snatches the gun from the man behind her and shoots both men in the head. Not sensing any others nearby, she calls up to Tom. 

Climbing down the ladder, the tall man grimaces behind his mask at the bodies littering the ground. He looks to his partner and follows after her down the dank tunnel. 

After a few minutes of walking, they soon come to a large open chamber filled with stands of people selling an arrangement of materials, objects, and even weapons. The entire area looks like an underground marketplace. 

“The blackmarket,” Raven mutters. 

Tom looks surprised, “This is the blackmarket? I expected it to be different.” He scans the room with a frown, “How are we supposed to find this group?”

“I have an idea. Follow me,” Raven says and slinks away in the shadows. 

Tom follows uncertainly. He is so out of his element here. He’s honestly unsure why Micheal put him on this mission. 

Raven leads the way through a series of smaller tunnels which seem to be less used by people. 

Voices are suddenly heard nearby. Raven holds her hand up to signal Tom to stop. She signs to Tom with her hands but his blank expression makes her fight the urge to groan. Tom has yet to learn sign language which makes this more difficult. 

Raven sighs and shakes her head. She just raises her hands to tell Tom to wait. He nods and she heads further down the tunnel. 

Tom waits for about ten minutes before he hears sounds of Raven’s arrival. She comes into view and Tom is shocked to find her dragging along a dirty clothed woman. 

“Raven! What are you doing?” Tom hisses. 

The green-eyed assassin slams the dirty woman against the wall of the tunnel and presses a knife to her throat. “She is going to tell us where the rebel group is located,” Raven’s stare burns into the woman, “Aren’t you?”

The woman glares fearlessly back at the assassin and says nothing. Raven narrows her eyes and presses the blade harder against her skin. 

“A-Alright!” The woman relents, “I will tell you!”

Raven retracts her blade a little and waits for the woman to talk. Letting out a huff, the woman closes her eyes, “…They are based in one of the older tunnels. It runs along the border of this sector, far enough from the ruffians that reside in this shit-hole.”

“Thank you,” Tom says to the woman. He looks to his partner, “She told us what we wanted. Let her go.”

Raven sends a quick glare to him for ordering her, but she does release the woman. “Leave us,” Raven orders.

The woman doesn’t need to be told twice. She quickly runs off, leaving the assassins alone. Raven starts walking the opposite way and gestures for Tom to follow. They make their way through the dark tunnels in silence for the next hour or so with Tom unsure if they are heading the right way, but he trusts Raven’s sense of direction more than he would a map of any kind.

They eventually come to an opening of a large underground chamber. Two men guard the entrance, and behind them is what almost looks like a small community. Small structures have been built for housing, and children can be seen playing in the puddles of sewer water.

Tom looks on in shock, “How do these people live down here? The conditions are-“

“The conditions are better than what they deem the ground above to have,” Raven murmurs. 

Tom frowns and looks back at the community. He can sense around thirty people in the chamber, not including the many children. Dressed in dark, weathered clothing; these people are dirty, unshaven, and show signs of sickness and starvation. 

“What is the plan?” Tom questions.

Raven scans the area from her crouched position, “We talk to them. I don’t think they will be much of a threat.”

Tom frowns, ”You are not planning on killing them, are you?”

Raven shakes her head, ”If they choose to fight I have flash grenades that we can use to stun them. It will then be a matter of quickly knocking them out.” She pauses and looks at Tom, “However, I cannot promise the leader will be left alive. He might not be scared by us. If we knock him out there is a high chance he will continue on like he has been.”

Tom grits his teeth, ”Is that always your answer to things? Kill the leader?”

“We are assassins!” Raven growls, “Don’t forget what group you entered.”

Tom bites his tongue and nods after a moment. Raven sighs and stands to stretch, “Then it’s settled. Follow me.” She then strolls right up to the guarded entrance while Tom gapes at her.

“Identify yourself!” The man at the entrance barks. He trains his gun on the assassin while his partner does the same.

Raven continues walking.

“I said-“ The man quickly drops to the ground after taking a sleep dart to the shoulder.

The other man stares at his unconscious partner in shock before aiming his gun at Raven. He gets a shot off before he is snatched by the woman. Raven knocks the gun from his grasp and gets behind him, wrenching his left arm behind his back and pressing a knife to his throat. Using him as her shield, she walks into the community as a group of armed people begin to create a blockade before her. 

Tom snaps out of his shock and runs after his partner. Drawing his crossbow, he stands a bit behind Raven and awaits orders.

“We just came to talk!” Raven shouts as the group aim their weapons at her and Tom.

A man pushes his way past the wall of people and points his gun at Raven’s head, “Yet you kill one of my men, and take captive another!” He snarls.

“He’s alive,” Raven assures him, “And this one is my insurance. I want to talk. Are you the leader of this band of misfits?”

The man glowers at her, his eyes flicking to the unconscious man on the ground. He sees no blood from where he is standing. “I am,” He eyes Raven and Tom suspiciously, “Who are you? What do you want?”

“We are the real Sao. Your group have been giving us a bad reputation. We have come to fix that,” Raven responds.

The group of people look uneasy at her statement. They see the combat suits Raven and Tom wear and all of the high-tech weaponry on their belts. As well as the professionally made bird masks which no one else would have been able to recreate. They know these are the real deal.

The leader gulps, “W-We are helping you! We are spreading your message and helping those against the enforcers.”

“We asked for no help,” Tom buts in. He looks around at the dirty, and sick looking people, “This mission is ours alone. You are only aggravating your situation. More enforcers have been brought to this sector because of your efforts. Your people are suffering because of you and you alone.”

The man’s eyes widen, “B-But we are helping get rid of those enforcer scum! We are doing this so you can focus on the Premier-“

“No. You are doing this because you are angry and want to feel helpful,” Raven cuts him off. She throws the man away from her and strides up to the leader with angry eyes. 

Tom quickly slides in-between them and stares pleadingly at the man, “You are only hurting yourselves by staying here. You have no protection against the diseases that reside down here and you have no constant food source. I see that you have children down here. You are condemning to death,” He tells him seriously, “Leave here. Get a job in a factory and keep yourself and the people around you safe by keeping your head down. We will fix all this. I promise you.”

Raven stands just behind Tom, watching him in wonderment. This man is too good for this world. Born within war and chaos, and yet this man is basically the personification of all the good that is left in this world. 

The leader stares at Tom with a frown. A war waging within him before his shoulders sag. “…Alright. We will stop.”

Tom smiles beneath his mask and pats the man’s shoulder, “Good man.” 

Raven clears her throat to gain their attention back on her, “…We will be going then. But know this, we will know if you start this up again” She warns the leader and those around them, “I won’t be as forgiving next time.” She then turns and leaves the building with Tom following.

“That was interesting,” Raven comments as they make their way above ground.

“How does it usually go?” Tom asks, a smile still on his lips. He feels good to have settled their dispute without any casualties.

“With us eradicating them all.”

Tom stumbles a bit. He looks at Raven with wide eyes, but she stares ahead showing no signs of what she is thinking. Tom gulps and stares back ahead, he is quiet almost all the way to the train station when he remembers his friend. “Raven, can we stop by to see Warren?

Raven pauses and thinks about his request for a moment before nodding, “Alright. You did well today.”

Tom smiles and leads the way to the house Warren had brought him to when he first came to this district. 

The house is just as broken-down and crumbling as he remembered. Raven leads the way onto the roof to avoid being seen on the streets and enters through a cracked window on the top floor. They find themselves in a small room with white walls covered in chipping light blue paint. A small mattress lies in the corner of the otherwise barren room. 

Tom walks to the door of the room, only to be held back by Raven. He looks at her questioningly and finds her smirking at the door.

“You are pretty good a stealth,” She comments aloud, “I almost didn't detect you.”

The door opens and Warren lowers his gun with a chuckle, “You aren't as quiet as I thought you would be. I guessed a couple of thieves have broken in.”

“Blame that on Tom. He still has work to do on his footwork.”

Tom feels his ears redden and he sends a glare at his partner.

“Garret, you can come out now,” Warren calls out. He gestures the assassins to follow him and he leads them to the larger room to sit down and talk.

Garret appears moments later and brightens up when he sees Tom. “Rich guy! You made it!”

Tom grimaces, “Is that what you have been calling me?”

Garret joins his brother on an old, beat-up couch and laughs, “I'm just kidding.”

“So, how did your mission go?” Warren questions them.

Raven leans back in her chair, “Went well. We have hopefully convinced them to stop what they have been doing.”

Warren looks impressed, “Glad to hear. They were a nuisance to all of us.”

“Tom, can you tell us what happened now?” Garret questions excitedly.

Tom frowns, unsure exactly what the boy means. Warren chuckles and ruffles his brother’s hair, “I told him that you had joined Saor, but that I wasn't given any details of the story. He has been waiting in anticipation for hours.”

“Oh,” Tom nods understandingly. He then jumps into the story of how he joined the band of assassins.

Raven sits silently and listens to her partner recount his joining of Saor and the missions he has been on. She watches Garret’s eyes light up at the tale. He is so young …but he is not innocent. Like herself and all kids of the poor districts, they lose their innocence early in life and grow up fast. If they don’t… then they have no hope of surviving in this world. Warren has protected his brother as well as he could, but Raven knows that there will be a day when he won’t be able to anymore.

The current World War has already claimed so many lives and thousands are still being drafted everyday. Raven is surprised that Warren has been able to avoid it this long, and soon Garret will be on the list as well. 

“You can relax you know,” Warren says to Raven.

She then realizes that both Tom and Garret have left the room while she was trapped within her own thoughts.

“Gar is showing him some of the things he has “acquired" over the years,” Warren explains. 

Raven crosses her arms defensively, “I am relaxed.”

Warren raises an eyebrow quizzically, “Do you always keep your mask on?”

Realizing she is still wearing the thing, Raven lets out a groan and pulls down her hood to remove her mask, “I tend to forget I have the damn thing on,” She mutters, relishing in the cold air that now touches her face.

Warren studies her face with a little surprise. He did not expect her to be so young looking, …or beautiful if he is being honest.

Raven sets her mask on the floor by her feet and crosses her legs, “Can I ask you something?”

Warren nods, “Sure.”

“How old are you and your brother?”

Warren crosses his arms as he leans back against the couch, “I’m twenty-two. Gar turned fourteen a few months ago.”

The assassin’s eyes widen slightly, “You look older than you are. …Is that how you have avoided the draft?” She questions slyly.

Warren frowns, “…I do what I have to. I can't leave him here alone.”

“But you do realize that they will come looking for him soon, don't you? He has less than a year left-“

“Why are you talking about this?” Warren snaps, glaring at the assassin.

Raven stares back at him cooly, “I’m thinking of recruiting you.”

Warren’s eyes widen almost comically, “…What?”

“You look strong, have decent stealth skills. I think you would be a good fit for our team.”

“B-But what about my brother?” Warren sputters, “He couldn’t possibly be of use to you.”

“I joined when I was around his age,” Raven tells him, “He would train for years before being put on any missions, but you both would have a safe place to sleep, a constant food source, and no enforcers to hide from. How about it?”

Warren sits back in shock, soaking in everything she has told him.

Raven waits patiently for his answer while Tom and Garret rejoin them in the room.

“This boy is quite the accomplished thief,” Tom comments as he sits back down in his chair.

“Oh, really?” Raven hums, “That is a good skill to have.”

“No.”

Raven looks sharply to the older brother, “No?”

Warren nods and clasps his hands together on his lap, “I have to decline your offer. I just don't think it is best for us.”

Raven eyes him for a moment before nodding, “Alright. I understand.”

Tom frowns at the two of them, “What are you talking about? What offer?”

“I asked him to join us,” Raven explains, “He refused my offer.”

Tom looks at Warren with wide eyes, “Y-You refused?”

Warren nods, evading the curious looks from his brother.

“It’s his choice,” Raven says and picks up her mask from the floor. Standing, she attaches the mask and pulls up her hood. She then stretches out her hand to Warren, “It is time we leave. I want to thank you for helping us today.”

Warren stands and shakes her hand, “Glad to be of some help.”

Tom shakes his friend's hand next, “Thank you. I wish you well.” He wants to persuade the man to join them, but he knows it would do no good. This is Warren’s choice and he has to accept that.

While Tom says goodbye to Garret, Warren walks with Raven to the window her and Tom had entered from. Raven turns to the freckled man and holds out a small black device to him. “This is a communication device,” She tells him, “If you ever decide to change your mind, or if that rebel group starts back up, give us a call and we will come.”

Warren takes the device and gives her a soft smile, “Thank you.”

Tom enters the room with his mask on and the two assassins take their leave. Raven leads the way to the train station where they jump onto a train and get settled for the long ride home.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20:

 

“The design is good, but it is just a glider at the moment and there is no way it will be able to hold two people in the air,” Tom says with a frown. He crosses his arms as he studies the blueprints him and James have drawn up for a new form of transportation for the assassins. 

The design makes use of the new fabric James has created which responds to an electromagnetic current and can stretch almost ten times the length of itself. The stretch fabric is sewn into the sides of the torso and in-between the legs of the combat suit. An electric current is passed through the suit, and when activated, the arms are bonded with the stretch material and can only be disconnected when the current is cut. In theory, this will allow the assassin to lift their arms to create a winged panel which they can glide through the air on. 

The problem, however, is that this idea of personal transportation was created with the hope of using it as a faster, easier method to bring the wounded back to the base. The train is fast, but it very difficult to hop on when injured. But Tom and James have not figured out how to make the wing-suit strong enough to carry two people at once. 

“We need some way to attach the wounded to their partner’s suit, and add some sort of propelling system that isn’t too bulky or heavy,” James scratches at his head and lifts his glasses to run his hands over his face. 

They have been working on this on and off for the past few months but lately, they have had more time to work on it since Tom hasn’t been on any recent missions. They have spent the last two weeks going over these designs with little to no sleep. Both Tom and James are dead tired but they can feel how close they are coming to a solution. 

Raven later walks into the lab and finds the two men slumped over a desk. James is lightly dozing and Tom is lazily writing out new ideas for the suit, but his notes are slowing becoming more and more unreadable. 

“You two never give up, do you?” Raven says with a sigh as she comes around the desk and looks down at the blueprints.

Tom stifles a yawn and sits up to stretch his back, “We are really close to finishing this design but there are just a few issues that we have run into.”

“Well, it looks like you need a break,” Raven comments as she looks into his tired eyes, “Good thing I came to relieve you.” She hands him a tablet, “Micheal is sending you on a mission.”

Tom frowns at the screen, “Are you accompanying me?”

“Not this time. I think he chose Johnny as your partner.”

Tom nods as he scans the documents, “Sector 5 in the West-ward. Well, at least I will not be traveling far.” He reads his objective and frowns, “…I am supposed to murder the head of the sector 5 CRC branch,” He shakes his head, “I refuse to do this. You know how I feel about-“

“I know,” Raven stops him, “But these are Micheal’s orders. No one expects you to be the one to kill this man. Johnny will be more than capable of handling that.”

Tom sighs and runs his hand through his shaggy hair that needs a good trim. He hates what they do. He hates that he has joined a band of killers… but he wants to believe that they will bring something better to this country. “Why do I have to go?” He questions, sounding very much like a child even to his own ears. “I work better in this type of environment,” He gestures to the lab around him. “James rarely ever goes on missions. Why does Micheal choose me for these?”

Raven just shrugs, “I honestly don't know his reasons. He obviously sees some potential in you to do more than just this.”

Tom mulls that over a moment before he finally nods, “Alright. I should go get ready-“

“Wait a minute!” Raven stops him once again, “I also came to make sure you got some rest. You’ve been up for days. You need sleep before you leave on this mission.”

Tom feels very much like he is being reprimanded by his mother. He hasn’t felt this since he was around seven years old. It’s... comforting somehow. 

A small smirk quirks at his lips, “Yes, ma’am.”

Raven’s brow furrows a bit at that. She eyes him a bit suspiciously before standing, “I will check your sleeping quarters later. If you aren’t in them-“

He cuts off her warning with a nod of his head, “I will regret it. Yes, I know.”

That brings a small smile to her face, “Cheeky.” She then turns to the snoozing James and slams her hand on the desk in front of him. He wakes with a start and sits up with his glasses crooked on his face. 

Raven crosses her arms, “Go to bed or get back to work,” She tells him, “I can’t have you sleeping in the lab.”

James nods as he fixes his spectacles. Raven smiles and gives Tom a nod before leaving. 

Tom leans his head back and shuts his eyes. “I will be gone for a few days,” He tells James, “Micheal is sending me out on a mission. We can continue...” He trails off when he opens his eyes and see that James has fallen back asleep. 

Groaning, Tom stands from his chair and proceeds to pull James to his feet before leading the half-unconscious man to the base’s sleeping quarters. 

After dropping off the sleepy scientist, Tom makes his way to his near-empty room and falls upon his sleeping mat. Exhaustion takes ahold of him quickly and he is out in seconds. 

~

Raven reaches her brother’s office and knocks on the door. 

“Enter.”

Raven opens the door and walks into the room. “Tom is all set. He has been briefed and should be sleeping at the moment,” She informs her brother.

He nods, not bothering to look up from his tablet, “Good.”

Raven leans against one of the walls and crosses her arms, “Why do you send him on these missions? He could work in the lab like James does. He does better work there.”

“He is good with technology,” Micheal agrees, “But I think he can do better. In the short time he has been with us he has already surpassed many recruits who have been training with us for a much longer time. His crossbow skills are even close to matching yours. He is the only recruit from the affluent district that we have and that gives us an advantage. I want to keep pushing him because I know he will become a strong member of this team.”

Raven’s eyes widen, “So this means that you have decided?”

Micheal nods and looks at his sister, “Tom is accepted into Sao. I plan to have his ceremony in a few weeks time, depending on how he does on this mission, of course.”

A smile breaks out on her face, “Really? That’s great-“

“I still don’t trust him,” Micheal adds, “Not fully at least. He still has a long way to go if he wants that, but you have convinced me of his worth to this team.”

Raven nods, “I understand. He is still new to our way of life, but I can see the growth in him every passing day. He won’t disappoint us.”

Micheal looks unconvinced, “We shall see.” He returns his attention back to his tablet and Raven takes that as her sign to leave.

Vex lands on her shoulder as she is exiting her brother’s office. The bird nuzzles against her cheek making Raven smile.

“How are you doing, Vex?”

The black raven caws and shakes her head, ruffling her feathers with the motion.

Raven smiles at her partner and reaches up to stroke Vex’s feathers. She then begins to make her way through the maze of halls to find Ben. She eventually finds him in the mess hall tucking into a bowl of vegetable soup.

“I should have known that I would find you here,” Raven quips as she takes a seat across from her friend. “You always seem to be eating something.”

“I am a growing man!” He argues, “I need nourishment to keep my body in top shape.”

Raven snorts, “You are almost twenty-seven years old, I think you hit the peak of your growth. If you keep eating like that it will catch up to you eventually.”

“This is just vegetables and broth. I cannot see how-“

Raven narrows her eyes with a smirk on her lips, “Don’t pretend like you don't have a hidden stash of food in your room.”

Ben stills and his eyes widen. Raven nods with a huge, devilish smile on her face, “Oh, I know all about it. How you sneak in snacks from your missions outside of the base. Talon should be ashamed of himself for helping you-“

“It’s your fault!” Ben growls, pointing a finger at her. “I wouldn't have developed a sweet tooth if it wasn't for that time you convinced me to break into a food-market!”

Raven looks appalled, “You can't blame me for that! It was one time!”

Ben sits back with a confident smile on his face now, “Well, I have a ton of dirt on you as well. All those times you snuck off to explore after a mission. I will tell Micheal everything if you rat me out.”

Raven glowers at her blonde friend, “…Fine.”

Ben tucks back into his soup with a pleased look on his face. “The snacks are only for emergencies,” he adds.

Raven nods unconvinced, “Yeah, sure.”

The blonde assassin’s eyes fall onto Vex who has nestled herself into the crook of Raven’s neck and fallen asleep. “What is Tom up to?”

“Sleeping at the moment, “Raven answers as she gently rests her chin on her hand, trying not to wake Vex. “He has been holed up in the lab with James for the last few weeks. They are working on some kind of glider for us to use during our missions.”

Ben nods as he slurps another spoonful of his soup, “Can't wait to try it out. What have you been up to?” He has just come back from a long mission so he is a bit out of the loop.

“Mainly training the newer recruits,” Her eyes then light up, “Oh! I have exciting news!”

“What is it?”

“Tom has been accepted into Sao!”

Ben looks surprised, “Wow. Good for him. I honestly didn't think Micheal would accept him so fast.”

Raven shrugs, “The way my brother’s mind works is a mystery, but I think he realizes how vital Tom is becoming to this team. He has already been out on multiple missions which is unheard of for a new recruit.”

Ben nods in agreement, “He definitely deserves his own suit. Tom is a good man, and I can see him becoming part of our elite team.”

“He’s set to leave on a mission with Johnny tomorrow,” Raven tells him, “It will be good for Tom to partner with someone as experienced as him.”

“For sure,” Ben hums in thought, “I wonder what bird will choose him.”

~

Tom and Johnny sit atop a roof as they spy on their target. The last few days have just been reconnaissance, a bit boring in Tom’s opinion. Johnny is a quiet man, so most of their time waiting is done in silence. 

“We should head back,” Johnny mutters, breaking the silence. He then contacts his bird via earpiece. “Jack, return to base camp.” 

Tom stands and follows the elder assassin to the small, empty apartment they found to act as their temporary base camp. Jack is already there waiting for them when they enter in through the window.

Johnny removes his mask and then immediately tends to his bird. He detaches the recording equipment from Jack and then rummages around in his bag for the sparrow’s food.

Tom watches with interest as the silent, and intimidating manhandles the small creature with such care and gentleness. He would never have expected to see this side of him.

“Once you have one of your own you will understand,” Johnny mutters with his deep voice. He glances over to Tom with a hint of curiosity, “I wonder who will choose you…”

Tom gulps nervously. He has thought about this quite often lately, but all he keeps thinking of is the shame that would envelop him if he isn't chosen. He knows that there are other assassins who have not been chosen for one reason or another and they are not teased for it, but Tom wants nothing more to fit in with this group. He wants to become one of them, to have a suit of his own and a partner for life. If he isn't chosen, a part of him will feel like Micheal was right and that he should have just stayed in his district.

“How did you get involved with Sao?” Tom decides to ask. He doesn't know much about the silent man, and he honestly doesn't expect him to answer.

As expected, Johnny doesn't respond so Tom begins to remove his equipment and get ready for bed.

“…I knew Samuel before he even thought of creating Sao,” Johnny mutters.

Tom looks up in surprise, “He saved Raven and Micheal, right?”

The long-haired man nods as he strokes the feathers of his bird, “Samuel and I grew up in the same district. Sector 4 of the West-ward was affected greatly by the nuclear strike. It is still recovering and rebuilding to this day, but thirty years ago it was almost unlivable, even in the affluent district,” He moves to sit in one of the armchairs and begins pulling off his boots. 

Tom follows and takes a seat across from him, silently waiting for him to continue.

“Samuel was ten years older than me, so we didn't regularly interact until I was around fifteen or so,” Johnny hums, “By that time, I had gotten into thieving and other dishonorable acts to survive. Samuel was always a man of leadership, and he did a damn good job fitting the role. So, he would give out contracts for me to fulfill, sometimes even joining me on such missions. This went on for a couple years, but we never got real close.” He pauses a moment, staring at Sao’s symbol which adorns the wrist of his suit. “He was an optimistic man despite what he had lived through. I think that damn bird of his was part of it.”

“Raven mentioned that he started the tradition with the birds of Sao,” Tom voices.

Johnny nods and looks to his own bird, “His optimistic nature only grew when he saved that bird. I think he realized for the first time in his life that his actions could make a difference. Nursing the bird back to health so it could fly free once again…” Johnny presses his lips together, “He found a purpose, or so he thought, in this shitty life we have. He wanted to free our country from the tight hold of the Premier, so that is what he set out to do.”

Tom nods, “So you joined him.”

Johnny’s head snaps to him with an incredulous look, “Hell no! When he told me of his plan I called him crazy and cut ties with him completely.”

Tom looks lost now, “Well, how-“

Johnny rolls his eyes, “I was getting to that,” He runs a hand through his hair and leans back in his chair, “He was also a persistent man. Messaged me for years, telling me of his plans and asking me to join in. He told me about the two kids he took under his wing and kept me up to date on their progress,” He averts his eyes and looks down at his hands, “After I got word of Hawke’s demise I knew I had to do something. Those kids were on their own now. Even if they were self-sufficient and old enough to handle themselves.. they were still just kids who followed an eccentric man for the better half of their life. They needed someone, if not a leader than a mentor for guidance. I took it upon myself to be that man.”

Tom frowns as the man lapses into silence, “What caused you to join them? You make it sound like you were never close with Samuel, or Raven and Micheal. So why would you-“

“Maybe I felt that I owed Hawke something,” Johnny interrupts softly, “I may not have felt close to him, but he obviously felt some sort of closeness to me. He bugged me for years, telling me about these kids. …I felt responsible for them when he was gone,” He is quiet a moment before standing, “That’s all there is. Goodnight.”

Tom watches the tall, lean man disappear into another room as he mulls over everything that was said. In all the months Tom has been at Saor for, that was most he has ever heard Johnny speak. It was very insightful, and now Tom feels like he knows the brooding man a bit better.

Tom stands and decides it is time for him to sleep too. Tomorrow will be filled with more spying, so he needs to be up early.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21:

Almost four months have passed since Tom and Johnny’s mission. They managed to gather the information they needed and got rid of the target as required. Since then Tom has been going on more missions with different partners. He is finally starting to feel more at home within the group now that his skills are on par with theirs. He still makes the odd mistake or two, usually when killing is involved since he still refuses to do so, but he is holding his own very well now. Raven can see the growth he has made and she is excited for his upcoming ceremony. 

Tom’s acceptance ceremony was put on hold for a few months because of certain issues that arose, but it is now all set to be held today. It works out well because it is also close to a year that Tom has been with Sao. However, he still does not know this is all happening. They have decided to keep it a surprise.

~

Tom is currently laying down on his mat in his small room. He and James have been working nonstop on the glider once again and Raven demanded the two of them to take a break from it. So Tom is relaxing after waking from a good nights sleep. Knowing that he will have to get some training in today is making him rather apprehensive to get up, but he knows he cannot lay there forever.

Just as he is getting up, he hears a knock outside his doorless room. “Yes?” He asks, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Raven peeks her head in with a huge smile on her face. This causes Tom to frown suspiciously at his friend. While she is not known to be overly serious, she is definitely not known to be very exuberant either.

“I brought breakfast,” She announces as she steps into the doorway with a tray of food.

Tom’s frown deepens, “…Why?”

Raven rolls her eyes and moves to set the tray down on the floor by his mat before taking a seat. She looks up at him and pats the spot next to her, “Come eat. It’s not poisoned, I promise.”

Still suspicious, Tom takes a seat by her and looks at what the tray holds. His eyes widen in disbelief. “I-Is that coffee?” He stutters.

Raven smiles widely and reaches for the two cups of dark liquid, “Yes, it is,” She hands him a cup and then proceeds to sip from hers with a sigh of contentment. “This is my vision of heaven,” She murmurs with her eyes closed as she takes another sip.

Tom chuckles and takes a sip from his cup. He closes his eyes and hums, “Oh, this is wonderful.”

Raven forces herself to put down her drink so she can push the tray of food closer to Tom, “Eat before it gets cold,” She orders.

Tom opens his eyes and looks down at the array of food in astonishment. Eggs, sausage, and even bacon are speed out on the tray. Meat is a rarity in Sao, let alone these more luxury food items. How on earth did she obtain these?

Raven smiles softly at the surprised look on his face, “It’s a gift.”

Tom turns to her confused, “For what?”

“You have been with us for almost a year now. I believe that calls for some celebration.”

Tom is shocked, “Has that much time really gone by already?”

Raven nods, “It’ll be a year next Friday.”

Unable to hold it off any longer, Tom begins to eat. He moans at the rich flavors swarming his taste buds. It has been far too long since he has eaten anything other than the bland vegetables and broth that Sao provides. This is ecstasy to him.

“Why not celebrate next week then?” Tom mumbles with a mouth full of food.

Raven snatches a sausage from the tray as she answers, “Certain scheduling arrangements only worked for this day.” She bites into the meat and her eyes roll back, “Oh I am going to miss this,” She groans.

Tom swallows and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, “Scheduling arrangements? Is something happening?”

Raven just smiles secretively.

A groan of annoyance is heard from outside the room. “Are you really going to keep him wondering? Just tell him already!”

Tom frowns at the doorway, “Ben?”

The blonde man walks into view with his arms crossed. He looks pointedly at Raven. She sighs, “Could you let me finish my coffee first?” She complains.

“I will do it,” Another bodiless voice announces before walking into the room next to Ben.

Tom becomes even more confused, “Micheal, what is going on?” He slowly stands and looks between the three of them anxiously.

Raven’s brother eyes the man with cold eyes and takes a few steps closer until he is just a foot away from Tom.

Tom gulps under the harsh gaze, wondering what he could have done wrong.

“You’ve been accepted,” Micheal murmurs.

Still not understanding, Tom frowns, “Into what?

A small smile works its way onto Micheal’s face, “Into Sao. You are officially part of our team.”

Tom feels his heart stop for a moment. He stands stock still with wide eyes, “…W-What?”

Raven jumps up with a huge smile, “Congrats!”

Ben joins her in congratulations, all the while Tom is barely hearing a word. This is all too surreal for him. 

“Oh, dear. You don't think he is going to pass out, do you?” Ben comments with a worried frown.

Tom blinks and takes in a deep breath. He shakes his head with a growing smile, “No. No, I think I am alright. This is just- Wow.”

Micheal reaches out and gives him a pat on the shoulder, “I will be seeing you in an hour then. Don't be late.”

Tom frowns as he watches his leader’s back leaving his room, “Wait, where am I going?”

“The acceptance ceremony,” Ben tells him, “Micheal will recognize that you are now a part of Sao in front of our entire team, and then we will see if you are chosen.”

It all makes sense now. “Entire team? Is that what you meant by ‘scheduling arrangements’?” Tom questions Raven.

She nods, “As I said before, there is always a portion of our team who are outside of the base on missions. For ceremonies such as this, we try to gather everyone here for it, but it takes a while to work everything out.”

“Yeah,” Ben agrees, “Your ceremony was actually planned for a day months early but Micheal had to wait for missions to be finished, and he had to juggle out the scheduling of some upcoming missions.”

Tom lets out a deep breath, “Wow. So, how does this all work?”

Raven grabs onto his arm and begins to pull him toward the doorway, “First, you need a shower. I will give you further instructions when you are done.”

Ben lingers in the room eyeing the leftover food, “…I’ll catch up with you guys in a moment.”

~

All of the assassins of Sao fill the main hall, chattering quietly to themselves. Tom has never seen so many people in the base at once, and its a bit unnerving if he is being honest. The actual number of people there is only around seventy, but it looks like a lot when packed into this room.

Tom stands with Raven to the left of a small elevated stage, waiting for Micheal to address the room.

“You will be fine,” Raven quietly assures him when she sees him nervously tapping his fingers against his leg. “I never would have thought that you were the type to get stage fright,” She comments.

“I am not!” Tom denies a bit too fast. He crosses his arms, “I am just not a fan of being singled out.”

Raven smirks, “Afraid you won't get chosen?”

Tom stays silent. 

Raven frowns and places a hand on his shoulder, “Don’t worry. You will get picked. I am sure of it.”

Tom gives her a weak smile before he is called forth by Micheal. He slowly makes his way onto the stage and takes his place next to the tall, white-haired man. The room falls silent.

“I don’t lend out my trust easily,” Micheal begins as he stares out into the crowd, “You all know this. So when an outsider, of the affluent district no less, came to our base wanting to join us I was a little more than suspicious,” He glances at Tom with humorous eyes, “I may have even demanded his death. But right now, I stand here today next to a man who has grown more in a year than most have grown in multiple years. This man has proven himself as trustworthy and a good asset to this team.”

Tom gulps as Micheal turns to him. 

“Tom Hiddleston, I accept you into our ranks. Now, step forth and be chosen by your partner who will stand by your side until the very end,” Micheal gives him a nod. 

Tom gulps, he faces the crowd and steps forward. He looks out into the silent flock of birds which sit high near the ceiling in the back of the room, and he waits. What he is waiting for exactly he is unsure. 

He feels his anticipation rising with every passing minute. He holds his breath and then closes his eyes.

After a few moments of deafening silence, the sound of flapping wings is heard echoing through the hall. Raven glances at Tom with a growing smile, knowing she was right all along. She then returns her gaze to the mob of birds and waits anxiously with everyone else for the bird to reveal itself. 

Suddenly a black bird breaks through the ranks of feathered creatures and soars toward Tom. He flinches as the bird lands on his shoulder but does not move away. He finally opens his eyes and looks at the bird in awe.

“A crow,” Micheal announces with a hint of a smile, “He will aid you well with your future missions, as well as being a great companion.” 

Tom reaches a hand up and his bird nuzzles it. He smiles, feeling a bond growing already. 

Micheal grasps Tom’s other shoulder and speaks to the crowd, “Welcome, Tom to our ranks!”

Applause fills the room. 

 

End of Book one…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, it is done! I hope you all enjoyed it :) I plan for this to be part of a three book series so keep on the lookout for book 2 in the future.


End file.
